Church officials call for community unity in wake of ‘Black Lives Matter’ flag thefts – Woburn Daily Times

READING - Marking the third time thieves have swiped the banner from the Woburn Street property, a homemade Black Lives Matter sign again turned up missing earlier this month from Readings Unitarian Universalist Church (UUCR).

According to church officials, who responded to the Feb. 10 theft by hanging a fourth flag over the entrance to the church, they view the latest incident as being motivated by hatred of their social justice message.

But UUCR minister Rev. Dr. Laura Solomon and church congregants say they will not be dissuaded.

When it comes down to it, a banner is just a banner, Solomon reportedly told congregants in the wake of the Feb. 10 theft. [The real work and commitment becomes apparent in] the promises we make to each other[t]hat we might answer the call of dismantling white supremacy culture within ourselves, our organizations, and our society.

After meeting in recent days with Reading Director for Equity and Social Justice Albert Pless, Solomon and other church leaders plan to host a multi-faith service aimed at encouraging the entire community to promote the causes of equity and justice.

The March 9 gathering, being labeled Black Lives Matter: A Multi-faith Gathering for Commitment, will begin at 1 p.m. in the UUCR at 239 Woburn St. and will include the participation of the Reading Clergy Association and the towns office of equity and social justice.

The service will be followed by opportunities for fellowship, discussion, and planning further engagement with anti-racism work in Reading.

The UUCR Church began flying its Black Lives Matter banner at the corner of Summer Avenue and Woburn Street back in 2020, when the years-old political movement exploded in popularity in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd Jr. at the hands of Minneapolis police.

Church officials say that first banner was stolen last June as Reading commemorated Juneteenth, which officially became a state and federal holiday in 2022. Given that the celebration commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, church officials had little doubt the first theft was motivated by racial animus.

Confirming those suspicions, church leaders discovered the second banner missing after the following Januarys Martin Luther King Jr. Day remembrances.

It is clear that this timing is intentional, and stealing our banner on these dates intensifies these acts of hate, Solomon reportedly told church congregants in the wake of the second incident. As a faith community, we are called to engage our larger community in the work of love, justice, and liberation.

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Church officials call for community unity in wake of 'Black Lives Matter' flag thefts - Woburn Daily Times