Declarations of Democracy: Healing and Repair - Resources from August Gathering
Rev. Vahisha Hasan, QuianaDenae Perkins, and Caitlin Breedlove dropped wisdom with passion and brilliance during our Gathering panel moderated by Nicole Pressley.
Our Gathering panelists named that this “America” may need to die for something more life-giving to emerge. Or, Rev. Vahisha Hasan said, perhaps “America is a zombie already, no longer alive, but still in motion, devouring others, feeding on brains, wounds, war, and genocide.” QuianaDenae Perkins reminded us that “We are mourning differently. This is not our (Black women’s) first time doulaing white women’s death.”
The Gathering began with an update from the ground in Biddeford, Maine, where Rev. Lori Whittemore has been showing up pastorally and prophetically with other people of faith in their community since the ICE murder of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero on July 13th. The Gathering ended with soul-stirring prayer and song from Rev. Verdis LaVar Robinson, whose singing is not to be missed.
If you missed us live or want to watch again, here are the recording and presentation slides.
We invite you to:
Ground yourself. What is 1 thing you will do to tend to your spirit and regulate this week?
Amplify. What is something you will share with 3 people tomorrow?
Act.
Organize a Butterfly or Ribbon Ritual.The Butterfly Stencil Ritual is a public act of remembrance, truth-telling, community care, relationship-building, and resistance. After ICE or another immigration enforcement agency takes people from a particular spot, participants return to mark what happened. The ritual holds grief and power together. We lament, but we do not gather in defeat. We make our neighbors visible, support impacted families, build new relationships, and strengthen our collective courage. From the HEAR THEIR CRIES A DELANEY HALL / EVICT GEO GROUP TOOLKIT, A Faith-Rooted Resource for Resisting Family Separation, Mass Captivity, and Normalized Cruelty
Attend or organize a UU the Vote Solidarity Summit
Let us know which of these actions (or others!) you are taking this month, and be sure to read our Action Center Weekly Update for specific actions you can take this week. We publish the update every Tuesday.
Links from our Panelists
Rev. Vahisha Hasan is a worker owner at WildSeed Wellness Cooperative, core team member of Christians for a Free Palestine, board chair of Transform Network, and serves as an associate minister at Christ Missionary Baptist Church. She has curated and co-edited three editions of Resipiscence: A Lenten Devotional for Dismantling White Supremacy, with Rev. Nichola Torbett and Building Up A New World: Congregational Organizing for Transformative Impact, co-edited with Rev. Anne Dunlap, which was the 2025 church wide read for the UCC.
QuianaDenae Perkins invited Black women who are Unitarian Universalist faith professionals to join Black Women of the Chalice.
Caitlin Breedlove’s first book All In: Cancer, Near Death, New Life was published in 2024 by AK Press. She also hosted the Side with Love podcast ‘Fortification,’ which interviewed movement leaders and organizers about their spiritual lives.
The strength of our movements has always been found in our ability to come together. May we continue acting in wider and wider networks of solidarity, and we will see you again in September.
May we dedicate ourselves to love today and always,
Rev. Cathy & Side With Love Staff Team
P.S. View the first Declarations of Democracy Panel on Pluralism and sign up for our next one on Solidarity September 14th!
