September 2026

By Betsy Leondar-Wright
UUCC Cofounder

Let’s compare two people who rose to fame from hardscrabble childhoods in Appalachia, the late Dolly Parton and J.D. Vance.

One spoke about her parents with reverence and shed light on the causes of their poverty. The other pathologized his family in a book that implies their problems stemmed from their dysfunctional culture, ignoring the corporate strip-mining of Appalachia.

One expressed empathy for women, especially working-class women, in her lyrics. The other devalues women except as child-bearers and attempts to make their lives harder. Of these two white people, one extended solidarity to people of color who faced discrimination she knew she didn’t face; the other is trying to make his country unwelcoming to everyone not of his own ethnicity and religion.

Of these two heterosexuals, one was an enthusiastic booster of LGBTQ people; the other is terrorizing transgender people who just want to serve in the military, play sports or use a restroom in peace.

One expressed her values through her philanthropy, giving millions of children the books and health care that her parents and siblings lacked. The other persecutes immigrants, even while hypocritically professing a religion that explicitly commands kindness to foreigners.

One united Americans across the political spectrum, as we all, red or blue, are her fans. The other demonizes the liberal half of the population.

Which path will we choose? If we face some financial hardships in our lives, how will we speak about others who share them? If we gain some wealth or prominence, how will we act on our privileges? In a country run by J.D. Vances, let’s try to be Dolly Partons.

New Online Training Manual

UU Class Conversations (UUCC) is working with Class Matters, a project of UUCC cofounder Betsy Leondar-Wright, to create the Social Class Trainers Manual. The project will create an online trainers resource that would be available to lay leaders at UU congregations and organizations to use in their social class awareness work.
The exercises are being modified for UUs by UUCC trainers to significantly expand the offerings in our online and in-person workshops.

The online trainers manual resource would be available to others outside of the denomination and would serve as an example of our diversity and equity focus in a time when DEI has come under attack from radical conservative voices. Given the reach of online resources, countless people searching for the terms social class, class, classism, equity, inequality, justice, etc. would find the manual and learn about our focus and our social justice commitment. This could attract like-minded people to our congregations. We expect the website will launch in late fall.

Embracing Social Class Sunday, May 2, 2027

Mark Your Calendars. We hope you will join UU Class Conversations and congregations across the nation to celebrate Embracing Social Class Sunday, held this church year during May Day weekend, Sunday, May 2. May Day is an international celebration of working people of all class backgrounds. It provides an opportunity to examine and lift up our commonalities. Our Embracing Social Class Inclusion resource packet will help you build bridges across social classes within your own congregation and make it more welcoming to people considering joining Unitarian Universalism. 

The Embracing Social Class Inclusion Sunday program includes chalice lightings, readings, hymns, stories and more. Embracing Social Class Sunday lets us appreciate and recognize the talents and treasures of people from all class backgrounds. We will send more information in the coming months.

Chalice by TheDarkThing William Ross

What a Concept!

Teens, Cameras and Our UU Values

As you know, UUCC Steering Committee member, Lily Cho, is working with UUs to share their class story across the denomination to help raise class awareness through video. She has been meeting with project participants via Zoom and recording their class experiences. If you are interested, contact Lily at info@uuclassconversations.org. She will edit your conversation for length and clarity, and post it on the UU Class Conversations website after you have reviewed it.

And Now …

Lily is adding an exciting new component to the project for the 2026-27 church year. She is seeking UU youth to join her in the project. The young people are being asked to take one- to three-minute videos of members of their congregation answering short, specific questions about one aspect of their social class experience. 

If your congregation’s RE department would like to be part of this project, contact Lily at info@uuclassconversations.org.

Talking Class Webinar This Month

Our friends at the Working Class Studies Association have asked us to share information about this upcoming webinar with you.

The speakers are excellent, and the findings and recommendations are based on hard research evidence. The event is organized by long-time WCSA leader Jack Metzgar and UUCC cofounder, Betsy Leondar-Wright.

Learn more.
Register for the event.