Extending Her Impact with UUSC
“As a Unitarian Universalist, supporting UUSCputs my faith into action and accomplishes much more than I could ever do alone,” Davalene Cooper shares.
A long-time member of UUSC, Davalene has been advancing social justice in her community and beyond for decades. Through her career as an attorney and law school professor, as well as extensive volunteer work in her town of Hingham, Massachusetts, Davalene is a fierce advocate for human rights, affordable housing, and consumer protection.
Recently retired, Davalene taught at Suffolk University Law School before serving on New England Law’s faculty for 25 years. At New England Law, she taught a course on restorative justice that focused on the truth and reconciliation process in South Africa. Prior to teaching, she was an attorney at the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky, representing economically disadvantaged tenants, and served as an attorney fellow at the National Consumer Law Center.
In addition to championing justice and equity in her professional life, Davalene has dedicated countless volunteer hours toward advancing UU values. As Housing Authority Commissioner in Hingham, she advocated for affordable housing. She also represented Hingham at the Massachusetts Democratic Convention. At her UU congregation, First Parish in Hingham (also known as Old Ship Church), she is a leader on the social justice committee, supporting everything from racial justice efforts and climate justice events to providing meals for unhoused community members and managing the action alert email list.
Davalene also advances the work of UUSC in numerous ways. As theUUSC Liaison at First Parish, she has helped organize Justice Sunday and Guest at Your Table, two of UUSC’s largest annual congregational events. Over the years, she also helped with a special monthly coffee house where local musicians perform and proceeds go to UUSC. In these and other ways, she keeps her congregation informed about UUSC’s human rights work and has raised thousands of dollars, including for UUSC’s Hurricane Dorian response, Syrian Refugee Crisis response, and Iraq Relief Fund.
Davalene explains she is drawn to UUSC by its collaborative, community-led approach. “I love the partnership model that governs how UUSC interacts with the world,” she explains. “Partnerships create relationships that build trust and respect for all involved; this is not a top-down approach to human rights work.”
Supporting UUSC helps Davalene expand her already significant social justice impact, and including UUSC as a beneficiary of her estate plans enables Davalene to take her commitment even further. “I want my legacy to be that I tried to help create a more just and fair world. I know that making UUSC a beneficiary of my estate will continue that goal to create a better world for all peoples—and all creatures.”
UUSC is inspired by the many ways Davalene puts UU values into action. We are grateful for her significant contributions to social justice over the decades, today, and for generations to come.
