Las Cruces, NM – The congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Las Cruces, 2000 S. Solano, will celebrate joining the Black Lives Matter movement with a dedication ceremony on the church grounds, Sunday, December 6, at 11:45 a.m. Yard signs will be installed to mark the congregation’s commitment to address racism, both in societal systems and in our personal lives.
“These signs are an act of public witness in support of a national racial justice movement,” said Suzanne Redfern-Campbell, the church’s minister. “One of the cornerstones of our faith is belief in the inherent worth and dignity of all people. When that worth and dignity is threatened, we are called to respond.”
Redfern-Campbell continued: “Placing these signs is in no way a criticism of the Las Cruces Police Department, which has been very supportive of local religious communities, including ours. Rather, we’re responding to a national crisis in which African Americans, especially young people, are much more likely to be killed by law enforcement than are people of other races.”
Church member Jan Thompson added, “We are not saying that only black lives matter. But it is black lives that are currently in most danger proportionately, as if some people believe they are worth less than others.”
Thompson continued, “It is the moral imperative of Unitarian Universalists to dismantle a system that fails to respect the inherent worth and dignity of allpeople. We wish to be agents of change and join with this national movement to stand up and speak out whenever and wherever we witness injustice.”
Ken Miyagishima, Las Cruces’ mayor, issued this statement in support of Black Lives Matter: “The ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement asks us to really listen to our African American friends and neighbors. It also asks us to commit ourselves to the elimination of all forms of mistreatment they face, both systemic and personal. This is a task we should eagerly embrace, with an appreciation of the trust being extended to us through this initiative.”
The UU Church of Las Cruces is a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association, a nationwide religious organization headquartered in Boston, MA.