Living Legacy Project 2015 Board Update

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Fall 2015
The Marching in the Arc of Justice conference, held in March, 2015, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Selma Voting Rights Campaign, changed lives. Participants left the conference in awe of and humbled by the families who lost loved ones to unspeakable violence, the Movement veterans who have made the continuing struggle for civil rights their life’s work, and today’s young people who have raised the rallying cry to the world that Black Lives Matter. Past, present, and future came together to make a renewed commitment to further the work that so many brave souls began over 50 years before. We’re very proud of the work we did here and recognize that this experience will influence how we organize all future Living Legacy Project ventures.

Planning for the future
After a much-needed period of rest and reflection following the Selma conference, the Living Legacy Project Board met in retreat August 26-29, 2015, at First Unitarian Universalist Church in Richmond, Virginia, to discern the future of this motley crew of committed souls. With the incredible facilitation of B Loewe, Communications Director at #Not1More Campaign and On Point Consortium consultant, as well as that of Margaret Rush, proprietor of Million Little Things, the board --in Sankofa style -- reviewed where it had come from, celebrated its successes, and made the way clear for an exciting future.

Although there is still much to be decided and even more to be done, we now have this vision to guide us:
The Living Legacy Project is a vital and unique bridge from the past, to the present, and into the future. Consequently, not only must its work continue; it must extend its reach. It must become sustainable financially and organizationally, so that future generations can be inspired by the stories of their ancestors to fuel their commitment to making racial justice a reality, if not in our time, then in theirs. 

As a result of this learning, we’ve made the following commitments:
  • Build a volunteer corps. We will expand our volunteer corps, training and mentoring new people to assist with, and eventually lead LLP experiences, and build and maintain the organization’s infrastructure.
  • Amplify the board. We will amplify the Living Legacy Project Board by replacing retiring members and, eventually, adding up to four new members. At the same time, we will maintain a multicultural board and commit to growing multi-generationally.
  • Construct a sustainable infrastructure. We will develop a solid organizational infrastructure that will start with documenting what we know and what we’ve learned about conducting pilgrimages, so that others may carry this work forward.
  • Grow a stewardship program. We will raise the necessary funds to hire staff, expand programming, and develop our scholarship fund so that LLP programs will be open to all regardless of ability to pay.
  • Keep racial justice and a multicultural future at the center. The vision of racial justice and a multicultural future will be at the center of everything we do.
We’ll have more to announce about these five key initiatives over the coming months (and years). As we do, we hope you’ll become involved as a volunteer, a board member, a fundraiser, and/or a donor. We have much work ahead us and to be successful, we’ll need the involvement of each of our supporters. 
PROGRAM UPDATES
Two Living Legacy Pilgrimages planned for early 2016
Mark your calendars now!
We’ll be offering two Living Legacy Pilgrimages in the spring of 2016!

The first, organized by Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden, Colorado, will be held March 18-25, 2016, and will be open, primarily, to people in the Denver-area. Contact Betsy Brown (wenbets @ msn.com), for more information.

The second Living Legacy Pilgrimage, offered May 21-28, 2016, is open to all.

Registration opens December 12, 2015. Watch for an announcement through email, social media, and on our website with more information. ​
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UUA President’s Council tours Selma
The Unitarian Universalist Association President’s Council held its annual meeting in Montgomery, Alabama, during the week of November 9, 2015. The Living Legacy Project was honored to offer them a tour of key civil rights sites in Montgomery and Selma and introduce the President’s Council to prominent civil rights activists, Joanne Bland, Morris Dees, and the Rev. Jacqui Lewis. This request was a direct outgrowth of the Marching in the Arc of Justice conference and is an indication of how life-changing that event was to participants. (Photos)  
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Board update
New trustee appointed
We’re pleased to announce that the Rev. James A. Hobart has joined the Living Legacy Project Board of Trustees. Rev. Hobart is a retired Unitarian Universalist minister and a veteran of the Selma Voting Rights Campaign who has worked tirelessly for civil and voting rights throughout his life. Rev. Hobart is Minister Emeritus of First Unitarian Society of Denver where he served from 1983-2001. He currently serves as President of Antioch College’s Alumni Association and as a member of the Antioch College Board of Trustees. Rev. Hobart has traveled with the Living Legacy Pilgrimage and was a prominent member of the planning teams for the LLP’s Civil Rights Veterans Gathering in Asheville, NC, in 2012, and the Marching in the Arc of Justice Conference in Birmingham, AL in 2015. His father, the Rev. Alfred W. Hobart, served as minister of the UU Church of Birmingham from 1953 to 1964 and was an outspoken civil rights leader.
LLP Board Nominating Committee gears up
The LLP Board has appointed a Nominating Committee to recommend an additional board member to replace outgoing Board Treasurer, Annette Marquis, who will be leaving her position by the end of 2015. An additional board position is expected to be available by July 1, 2016. In recommending new board members, the board charged the Nominating Committee with giving preference to those who have experienced the Living Legacy Pilgrimage. However, maintaining a multicultural board membership and developing a multigenerational board were also held up as high values. If you’re interested in serving a three-year term on the Living Legacy Project Board, please contact Annette Marquis who convenes the Nominating Committee.
Financial management
At the request of the UUA Southern Region, which has served as our fiscal agent since the founding of the LLP (through the Southeast District), we have found a new fiscal agent. First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond has generously volunteered to serve in this capacity. Over the past few months, we opened new bank accounts, transitioned to a new bookkeeping system, and began a new era of financial management. We are now implementing new systems for registration and electronic donations.

About your pledge
Some of you might be wondering what happened to the credit card pledge you made in Birmingham to support the future of the LLP. Now that our bookkeeping system is in place, we’ll soon be contacting all the generous people who made credit card pledges and ask their permission to collect their pledge payments. We can’t thank you enough for your generosity and your patience.
In closing
The Living Legacy Project Board offers a heartfelt thank you to each of you. We are grateful for the trust you have placed in us. We are equally thankful for the love and support you continue to offer us.

May our collective journey continue