The next Hot Topics event will explore the origins of contemporary racist behavior in the US utilizing excerpts from the acclaimed documentary, "Stamped from the Beginning," based on the book of the same name by Ibram X Kendi. Discussion to follow, facilitated by our Racial Justice Committee.

Please join us for a discussion of James McBride’s The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store (2023). Books can be obtained at Barnes & Noble in State College or over Amazon. Click here for a list of discussion ideas to think about. The discussion will be led by Leslie Brown, who has this to say about the book and its author: Selecting a work of fiction for this venue is out of the ordinary, but the literary genre can show us much about living as a person of color in past and present America. I have read most of McBride’s novels that [...]

What does it mean to commit a "Microaggression"? Last October, we invited Dr. Seria Chatters to give our Board, Racial Justice Committee, and RE teachers a workshop on microaggressions which was deeply insightful and spurred much discussion. Rev. Tracy and Ashley Hamlin are expanding this training and discussion to anyone in our UUFCC congregation with a second workshop based on Seria's material. After this workshop, we will invite Dr. Chatters to come again and follow up on this work. Our goal is to continue deepening our inclusive and welcoming culture at UUFCC. Please let Ashley Hamlin know if you will be [...]

Ann Snowman, Associate Librarian Emerita, once immersed in the halls of academia, will be sharing about ALA censorship data, 1st amendment rights, privacy, the Baileyville Book Banning of 1981, personal censorship, and more. Cathi Alloway (Retired, Schlow Library Director) will share the intellectual freedom challenges she faced during her library career, including controversies about violent and sexual materials, hate group meetings, and Drag Queen Story Hours. You won't want to miss this educational and enlightening journey through their experiences with censorship.

Join Rev Tracy for a time to learn about the UUA's General Assembly (a national business meeting of UU's including workshops, meetings, worship, and more!) and how you can participate, what that means, and why it is important.

Join us for a dynamic panel discussion about the housing crisis in Centre County! We will use the 2023 Centre County Housing Needs Assessment and stories from people impacted to frame the problem. Then, we will draw insights from local leaders who are on the front lines of the issue, as well as a national perspective from the organization Strong Towns, on how to best address the crisis. Panelists include: Matt Herndon, State College Borough Council member Matt will share his considerable knowledge of the innovative ways housing is being addressed nationally. He will also convey his vision for how the [...]

Our companions in life are death and grief and yet they are so difficult to talk about, and rarely at that. In times of loss, how do we find healthy comfort? Further, is emotional comfort something human beings should even expect as part of life? In the death workshop we will go over practical matters, memorial services, and think about our own deaths. The grief workshop includes how to walk with grief, writing condolence notes, and digging deep into the grief of being human. The last workshop on comfort helps us understand how we can comfort ourselves naturally as well as [...]

Please join Joanne Tosti-Vasey, Chair of the Centre County Advisory Committee for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) and Jesse Barlow whose service on the PHRC's advisory board informed his work as a Council member and his public service in general. This presentation will discuss the function of the PHRC's role in enforcing Pennsylvania's anti-discrimination laws and the Advisory Committee's role in monitoring acts of tension against marginalized groups in Centre County.