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Opinion: Rev. Morrill addresses ‘Black Lives Matter’

Posted at 12:19 pm September 21, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 51 Comments

Jake Morrill

Jake Morrill

By the Rev. Jake Morrill

This past July, a church committee requested a new message on the electronic sign, which faces the Oak Ridge Turnpike. The message they requested was “Black Lives Matter.” The board of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, or ORUUC, voted to approve it, and the message was added to the sign’s series of scrolling messages.

Since then, we’ve received feedback from different members of the community. Some has been to praise the sign; some, to criticize.

The Police Lives Matter Rally

Saturday night, I attended a rally called Police Lives Matter in A.K. Bissell Park. My colleague at ORUUC, the Rev. Tandy Scheffler, attended as well.  She’s a recent graduate of the Citizen’s Police Academy.

She told me she saw the rally as a chance to demonstrate that support of police officers and support of black lives is not an “either/or,” but a “both/and” for her. Yes, she said, police lives matter, and yes, black lives matter, and yes, all lives matter. I agree. Along with my gratitude for police officers and first responders, I also attended because the rally’s organizers have been critical of the church’s “Black Lives Matter” sign.

When people have an opinion, I believe it’s important to listen. In fact, responding to online criticism of the sign in recent weeks, I’ve extended at least 15 invitations to people to sit down together so we could talk. I’m sorry to say that no one, as yet, has accepted my invitation. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Opinion Tagged With: Black Lives Matter, democracy, equal justice under the law, Jake Morrill, Jim Crow, justice, liberty, Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, ORUUC, Police Lives Matter, police officers, racial inequality, Tandy Scheffler, Universalists, war on cops

Free screening of ‘Inequality for All’ to honor International Women’s Day

Posted at 10:10 pm February 23, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Robert Reich

Robert Reich

Local organizations are offering a free March 7 screening of “Inequality for All,” a documentary that features former U. S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, in honor of International Women’s Day 2014.

Reich’s award-winning documentary focuses on the widening income gap in America, a press release said.

The screening is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m., Friday, March 7, in the City Room (A-111) of Roane State Community College at 702 Briarcliff Ave. It’s sponsored by Women’s Interfaith Dialogue, the League of Women Voters, Altrusa International, and the Sisterhood of the Jewish Congregation, all of Oak Ridge.

The release said Reich uses humor and a wide array of facts to explain how income inequality and the shrinking middle class affect everyone and have implications for the future of democracy, the economy, and the nation. The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Special Jury Prize. It was recently released in theaters nationwide and has now been made available for educational screenings. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Churches, Community, Front Page News, Nonprofits Tagged With: After Shock, Alex Haley Farm, Altrusa International, Beyond Outrage, Bill Clinton, Children’s Defense Fund, democracy, economy, Fran Ansley, income gap, income inequality, inequality, Inequality for All, Inspiring Change, Interfaith Worker Justice of East Tennessee, International Women's Day, Jim Sessions, Jobs with Justice of East Tennessee, League of Women Voters, middle class, Roane State Community College, Robert Reich, Sisterhood of the Jewish Congregation, Sundance Film Festival, Tennessee Immigration and Refugee Rights Coalition, U.S. Secretary of Labor, United Methodist, University of California, University of Tennessee College of Law, wages, Women's Interfaith Dialogue

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Classifieds

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

Public notice: Draft environmental assessment for Y-12 Development Organization at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

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