August’s “Soul Matters” packet asks the question, “How does one learn to be a trustworthy ally?” How can we help repair trust while we’re all living in an unjust society and making microaggressive mistakes? We work with some of the “Soul Matters” articles on racial justice, allyship, and trust-building in connection with life lessons learned from preschoolers and seminarians. Our explorations will focus on racial justice and white allyship but include wisdom relevant for all who experience some form of privilege (by being white, male, able-bodied, upper-class, cisgendered, etc.). Though we cannot appoint ourselves anyone’s allies, let us explore together some behaviors that will help us grow toward genuine, healing allyship.

Piper Rowanoak Swim is a student at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley studying to enter Unitarian Universalist ministry. She is also a NeoPagan, stepmother of two, and Garden teacher at Aquatic Park School, a preschool in Berkeley.

Topics: Social Justice, Standard Sunday Service