Inclusion: A Daily Practice

Posted on February 12, 2025 by admin

Inclusion is championed by great movements, initiatives, groups, and legislation. These efforts
remind us of the power of collective action and the progress we can achieve together. Yet,
sometimes, these movements can feel distant or abstract, leaving us disconnected from the
immediacy of practicing inclusion throughout our daily lives.

Inclusion is not only about large-scale efforts; it is also about how we show up in everyday
moments that actively reflect our values. It’s choosing patience over frustration, offering a smile to those we pass, saying hello or good morning, holding open a door, or giving someone the closer parking spot. There are countless opportunities to widen the circle of inclusivity as we move through the world daily.

These small acts are by no means insignificant, nor are they simply good manners. They remind others—and ourselves—that we all share in the dignity and respect that come with being human. They connect us to the interdependent web of life, where each of us carries our own joys and sorrows, bound together by a common thread of existence.

When we practice inclusion daily through small, intentional acts, we make its power tangible.
This happens not only through movements toward a more just world but also in how we live our values and touch the lives of others every day.

~Ryan Peterson

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The Case for Y’all

Posted on February 11, 2025 by admin

I started so many reflections on the topic of inclusion. It’s such a wide topic and there were so many different directions that I could go, I just couldn’t seem to finish a complete piece.

I would start strong, but then the words would escape me, darting off in all directions.

I tried to catch them and wrangle them into coherence, tried to line them up in profound order, but they keep bounding away.

The words. Which words do I use? Which words do I include?

Which words are ‘acceptable’ to publish?

Which words are ‘professional’?

Which words have historically been scrubbed form the published record?

African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is certainly not my heritage, but it has largely been excluded from publication.

Y’all is my heritage.

Y’all has also been excluded. 

In recent years, I’ve been shifting away from using ‘guys’ to refer to a gender-neutral group of people because it can read as masculine-as-default. 

Y’all is a perfect replacement. 

The southern dialect, often ignored as being unintelligent, has had the perfect word this whole time!

What words do y’all want to include?

~Aline Harris 

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Maya Gonzalez

Posted on February 10, 2025 by admin

For the service I am doing later this month I am finding folks who have shown me examples of inclusion and practices of inclusion. I am inspired by their commitment and dedication to this practice. 

I found Maya online when searching for a book about gender identity for our library and have since purchased a few of Maya’s books. The work Maya did alongside their own children provided the inspiration for many of the books. Maya is not only an author but an activist and progressive educator. 

The approach Maya takes towards gender and body diversity is nature-based, decolonized and holistic. Maya provides training and workshops to educators, parents and caregivers.

I bought ‘they, She, he easy as ABC’ for our grandkids. One of my favorite lines from that book comes at the end – “Now’s your chance, We need your moves. Join the dance. There’s always room.

I love the idea of room, making room, giving space to those that need it, and allowing for creativity within the expanding landscape of community.  I know this is not an easy process as those we make room for are different than ourselves and we are different to them as well. But when others become ‘all of us’ it is so beautiful.  

I am probably going to enjoy more of these books down the road for sure and can’t wait to include them into my library. 

~Lydia Patrick

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All the Feels

Posted on February 7, 2025 by admin

Before I started working with a trauma therapist, I had a habit of holding onto and hiding
my feelings. This is especially true of unpleasant emotions, particularly anger. But in doing so, the anger only came out in ways that proved negative for me and my behaviors.

Now I try to express my emotions by talking things out with people I have concerns with, sometimes writing them down first in my journal so that they are not so loaded. I am learning that including all of my emotions in what I express as I feel them gives me the freedom to get my needs met in a more positive way. That makes anger less scary than it previously was.

I unfortunately had to learn this as an adult because expressing anger as a child only brought punishment, criticism or simply not being heard at all. I have had to learn to include those feelings so that I can feel like myself, wholly human. In these times especially we need to acknowledge all our ‘feels’, pleasant and unpleasant, as that is to acknowledge who and where we are at the present. That gives us the power to cope better, but also to know that we can still feel joy amongst all the despair and fury.

~Jen Garrison

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JETPIG and the Practice of Inclusion

Posted on February 6, 2025 by admin

Depending on when you were introduced to Unitarian Universalism, the fundamental explanation of our faith could be presented in a few different ways. The Seven Principles and
their explanations were my introduction and remain the foundation of my understanding of my Unitarian Universalist faith. If you’re fairly new, our Seven Shared Values might be your
introduction. Our Shared Values are often represented by the flower or atom image seen below
and by the fun acronym JETPIG which is taken from the first letter of six of the Shared Values.
Many, many words have been written and spoken about the shift to the Shared Values but I’d
like to offer the idea that conceptualizing our values this way is also an act of inclusion.

1 . The Shared Values graphic is shown above with the words “Transformation,”
“Pluralism,” “Generosity,” “Interdependence,” “Equity” and “Justice” are arranged
around a central image of a lit chalice with the word “Love” over the flame.

Everyone processes information differently. Personally, I prefer the written word. I like books and written explanations. I can handle written information much more comfortably than spoken or visual content. This is not true for everyone. Sharing our values is a critical part of explaining our faith, so shouldn’t we make sure we do it in ways that are accessible to more people? The Seven Principles are not gone. They are still dear to me. Still, we must remember that the written word is not the ultimate form of communication for all. We should meet people where they are and connect with them in ways they can receive. For some of us, that’s a heavy book, and for others it might be JETPIG.

I have observed some negative statements about the Shared Values image and JETPIG. Some
call them memes in a derogatory fashion. I think these miss the point. Simplification does not
necessarily remove meaning. It can make it easier to include more people and draw our circle
wider, still.

~Ian Van Sice

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A Call to Stand Against Injustice

Posted on February 5, 2025 by admin

I read a recent article in Reuters about the removal of a U.S. Air Force video honoring the first Black pilots, and realized this is not just a bureaucratic decision—it is an alarming regression that threatens to erase the progress of racial inclusion in America. This action, spurred by Trump’s anti-DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) order, is a harsh reminder of the struggle for justice for everyone. It reveals a dangerous effort to rewrite history, silence marginalized voices, and strip away the very principles that define an equitable society.

Inclusion is not just a hypeword; it is the foundation of a democratic country. The legacy of the first Black pilots—the Tuskegee Airmen—represents perseverance in the face of systemic racism. By removing their story from public recognition, this new regime is sending a clear message: the contributions of marginalized communities are expendable. This is a direct attack on the values of equity and justice, rolling back decades of progress and setting a dangerous precedent for the future. I don’t know whether to cry or scream at all this dismantling of our country’s history.

Now, more than ever, we must stand up against this deliberate erasure of history. Silence is complicity. We must live love through the practice of inclusion by amplifying the voices of those being silenced, holding institutions accountable, and demanding policies that uphold social justice. We must educate, advocate, and resist efforts to return our country to an era of exclusion and oppression.

Living love through inclusion means that every person, regardless of race, gender, or background, is seen, heard, and valued. It means fighting for policies that protect diversity initiatives, supporting organizations that uplift marginalized voices, and confronting racism wherever it arises. We cannot allow history to be rewritten to serve the interests of those who fear progress.

This is our call to action. We must build a country that embraces all its people, honors its full history, and refuses to be dragged backward. Inclusion is love in action. Justice is love in action. Let us embody both and stand against this dangerous tide.

~Candice Carver

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Behind the Trees

Posted on February 4, 2025 by admin

It was a beautiful Midwestern evening. The heat of the sun had dissipated, and a cool breeze
carried the sweet smell of wild grasses swaying in the golden glow of the setting sun.

I was out for a bike ride—anything to get away from my house and soak in the last moments of
summer before school began.

I lived in a rural community with few neighborhood kids, which is why I was so transfixed by
what I had just stumbled upon.

Slightly off the path at the end of a dead-end street, I heard voices and decided to investigate.
There, behind the trees in a small, rolling field, were three boys slightly older than me. They
were laughing as they navigated their bikes through a course of ramps, mounds, and
obstacles—some kind of BMX track they had assembled. They raced, chased each other, and
were completely absorbed in their world.

I watched them with a mix of excitement and longing. It reminded me of all the ’80s movies I had watched about young boys and their adventures. To have a group of friends. To have a secret hideout, a place to belong. To race down the sunset until our parents called us inside.

I never had that, and, man, did I want it. These boys had it.

Now imagine the wave of joy and fulfillment I felt when one of them stopped, waved to me, and
said, “C’mon, join us.”

-Ryan Peterson

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