The 2011 Multicultural Leadership School

Connection. Celebration. Love. If I was asked to select three words to describe my experience at this summer’s Multicultural Leadership School, those ones would be at the top of the list. Although I had been told the experience would be a transformative one, I had no idea how accurate that description would be. The opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and leadership development activities was not unexpected, as the program was a leadership initiative hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Association. But what came as an overwhelmingly pleasant surprise was the immediate and powerful sense of community that permeated throughout the entire experience. We were a dozen youths and young adults from vastly different parts of the country, including Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston, and Birmingham. We had never met each other before (save for one or two exceptions), and many of us were relatively new to the UU faith tradition. But from the moment we sat down for dinner upon our arrival, we forged joyful bonds of love and celebration that remain with us to this day (seriously, our Facebook group is pretty fabulous). The community we created in those short four-and-a-half days was more open and accepting than any in which I had ever participated, with an energy unrivaled by even the most sugar-saturated kindergarteners. Though our time together was brief, our growth as a group and as individuals has had a lasting impact on our lives, which we proudly share with others as we embark on our own unique, but forever connected journeys.

A Celebration of Difference

As a Multicultural Leadership School, one of the greatest strengths of the program was its celebration of difference and diversity. Our celebration began on the very first night, when we each shared an item of importance to us during our opening worship. An incredible variety of dreams, talents, and histories came out of the stories told that evening, some painful, some humorous, but all beautiful. Our love for each others' journeys continued to show as we filled our “basket of community gifts” with expectations of joy, respect, and honesty.  Our group had come together because of our uncommon backgrounds, and in a paradoxical way, our differences united us. While we all identified as Unitarian Universalist in some way or another, there was a deep understanding that we each had unique and equally valid experiences that helped to define our individual identities. All of us came into the program with a perception of our selves and how we were viewed in our respective communities. Through different activities involving pipe cleaners, crayons, and enthusiastically animated videos, we were able to better connect with our identities, and celebrate our strengths. As each of us shared the complexity and beauty of our individuality with the group, an overwhelming feeling of love spread throughout the room. We were in a safe space, where all that we were and hoped to be was celebrated and respected. We learned to recognize diversity in new ways, and were reminded of the importance of emotional validation and appreciation. Compassionate listening and heartfelt sharing strengthened our bonds, and promoted a flow of ideas that could have sustained weeks of learning. Through our deep connections with one another, we quickly recognized the ways in which each attendee strengthened our group dynamic, and eagerly shared our personal experiences to encourage mutual growth.

A Vision for the Future

Every individual in attendance at this year’s MLS was a leader in their community and congregation. Everyone in the room was already working towards a better future for Unitarian Universalism, society, and the world. As the future of our living tradition and ever-evolving faith community, we all shared a vision for change, and had chosen to attend the MLS as a means of helping us on the way to realizing that vision. Beyond learning skills and strategies that would allow us to serve as more effective leaders, we were given a special opportunity to learn from the experiences of current UUA leaders. From the onset of our program, our three facilitators exuded extraordinary passion for their work and a deep appreciation for our presence. They shared with us their experiences as Unitarian Universalists of color, inspiring us with the genuineness of their joys, hardships, and hopes. Their sincere desire to hear from us as attendees was equally, if not more moving- they respected the significance of our experiences too. Thanks to our facilitators’ appreciation of our beauty, a theme emerged when we were approximately halfway through our program- we recognized ourselves as being “fabulous, awesome, and terrific”. Although those words were initially intended to help designate groups for a conflict-resolution activity, the twelve of us ran with the idea and were proud to call ourselves…FAT. We celebrated ourselves and each other, our abilities and our potential, our uniqueness and our community. Using our love for one another, we turned a tiny, three-letter word into a beautiful expression of strength and joy- we were FAT!  It is impossible to not feel deeply connected after sharing so much love.

As current and future leaders, we were also blessed with the opportunity to meet individuals whose work at the UUA honored the diversity and celebration inherent in our living tradition. We connected with UUA leaders who had witnessed our faith tradition work through culturally-inattentive periods in its recent history, and who had fought for a greater adherence to our principles. All of those whom we met expressed a sincere appreciation for our presence, and a hope that we would bring sustainable change to our faith and its appreciation of diversity. Their energy and passion was an inspiration for all of us, and their honest responses to our difficult questions were refreshing reminders of our ability to make a difference. We were able to speak with Kay Montgomery, who possessed a seemingly infinite knowledge of the UUA and enthusiasm for the social justice work achieved by each of its presidents. Her visit to our group moved one attendee so much that she specifically requested to shake her hand as she prepared to leave. She got a hug. We later had a surprise visit from Gini Courter, who had an unmatched ability to know something or someone in each of our congregations. Her humor and magnetism made her an instant celebrity, and prompted a lineup of individuals who wanted a picture with her. She was also rocking a pretty fabulous Star Wars cap. Our final visitor was Peter Morales, who, although he had just been convicted of a misdemeanor for protesting Arizona’s immigration laws, was incredibly receptive to our questions about the UU faith tradition and the UUA as an organization. When asked how he would describe Unitarian Universalism to someone inquiring about our beliefs, he offered this beautiful sentence as part of his response: “What we love is more important than what we believe.” You can’t make this stuff up.

But wait, there’s more. As part of our program experience, we were able to take a tour of the UUA offices, both at the 25 Beacon Street and Beacon Press buildings. Along our way, we met with people who worked in vastly different capacities, but all with the same mission- to help our faith community grow. We met individuals who managed business elements, including employee health coverage (spiritual well-being is that much easier to pursue if you don’t have a cold). We learned about the work being done to increase our capacity for campus ministry, and new opportunities to involve youths and young adults in the UUA decision-making process. We met staff members who worked on publications targeted at improving our appreciation of diversity, and individuals who had spent countless hours working on the Tapestry of Faith initiative (ask them about the “cults” section). Regardless of the specifics of their positions, every person we met was genuinely happy to entertain us and our questions. Each moment presented an exceptional opportunity to see and celebrate the organizational elements of our faith tradition, to help us develop our vision of the future as current change leaders.

An Experience to Share

If you were to visit our Facebook group, you would find a string of comments and notes expressing lamentation about missing our 2011 MLS cohort. Those few days together were filled with so much joy and love, it is no wonder we want to revisit them. But on the page you would also see us discussing our plans for growth and multicultural programming across the country. So even though a reunion may be necessary for another late-night round of “Apple to Apples”, it does not mean we cannot find that same amount of love and joy wherever our journeys take us. We have been given the opportunity, dare I say the responsibility, to share our experiences, knowledge, and passion with our respective congregations and communities. We did not leave that inspiring community of beautifully diverse and energetic Unitarian Universalists behind. We brought it home with us, so that we may share with others our immeasurable potential for connection, celebration, and love.

(Photo by D. Askew)