Weaving Social Justice Connections and Advancing Our Values
Building connections between like-minded groups is a common theme of Linda Harris’ social justice work at First UU Society of San Francisco and beyond.
One of the first bridges Linda helped build, after joining the congregation in 1995 with her then-10-year-old son, was between religious education and the social justice work of the congregation. Inspired by her belief that “involving children in social justice work as they grow up makes them feel empowered instead of overwhelmed,” Linda became the congregation’s liaison between their religious education and social justice programs.
As liaison, Linda helped strengthen the congregation’s social justice and educational programs for all ages. For example, Linda championed UUSC’s Guest at Your Table program, in which congregations learn about and support UUSC’s grassroots partners around the world. Initially, Guest at Your Table at First UU Society of San Francisco was only for children and youth, but Linda worked with others at the congregation to expand it into an intergenerational program for everyone.
“For both individuals and families in our congregation, UUSC’s Guest at Your Table program has helped us focus on the choices we make on a daily basis about our material resources,” Linda reflects. “It also offers an opportunity to reflect on our UU commitment to social justice and human rights.”
In addition to leading Guest at Your Table at First UU Society of San Francisco, Linda became the congregation’s UUSC liaison, spreading the word and encouraging support of UUSC throughout the year. For example, Linda shares UUSC updates in the congregation’s e-newsletter and organizes tables at coffee hour to raise awareness about UUSC’s human rights work and opportunities to take action.
One of Linda’s fondest memories as UUSC liaison is First UU Society of San Francisco’s work with UUSC’s Human Right to Water program and the UU Legislative Ministry of California to advocate for guaranteed access to drinking water in California. Working collaboratively, they generated more than 500 letters to the state legislature, attended legislative hearings, and partnered with affected communities in California’s Central Valley on several related actions – until California passed a law declaring that every person in the state has a right to clean, safe, and affordable drinking water.
From promoting the human right to water to advocating against detention of child asylum seekers, Linda’s work as her congregation’s UUSC liaison has been making an impact for more than 25 years and continues to make a difference today. Recently, Linda made the decision to extend her support of UUSC even further by including UUSC in her estate plans. “The work of building a more just and sustainable world is long haul work that won't be finished in my lifetime,” Linda explains. “It feels good to know that I can continue to contribute to this work even after my death.”
UUSC is grateful to be one of the many ways Linda puts her commitments to immigration justice, climate justice, women’s rights, and equitable disaster response into action – today and far into the future.
