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Dear Justice-Seeker,

This issue of MFSAVoices is jam-packed with resources and information. So much so that it won't all fit in your email message so be sure to click view entire message at the bottom of this email to view the entire issue. Our newsletters are designed to be used all month long. So take a quick glance and take note of important dates to add to your calendar but also come back in the following weeks to work your way through the action items.  

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We continue to see the urgency of our work to make broad systemic change. Change that honors the dignity and worth of all people, puts people over money, and honors the earth and all her inhabitants. Since 1907, MFSA has been shining a light on injustice and organizing to change it.  

You make our collective work possible by your witness for justice every day in your church, community, and Annual Conference. MFSA does not receive any financial support from the United Methodist Church's giving channels. 100% of our budget is funded through your membership dues and your generosity in giving.

Reading Banned Books as An Act of Resistance

"Over the last several years, the American Library Association (ALA) has seen an increase in book bans and challenges. In 2022, the ALA reported 1,279 book bans and challenges reported to the association. This number nearly doubled from 2021, when the number of challenged and banned reports was 729. A majority of these challenges come from organized groups such as Moms for Liberty, who organize and circulate lists of multiple titles they aim to ban or censor in public and school libraries. Of the overall number of books challenged, 90% were part of attempts to censor multiple titles using one of these book lists circulated by organized groups. As the United States heads into an election year in 2024, we may continue to see challenges rise across the nation’s public libraries. This culture war of banning books has put librarians on the frontline more than ever to advocate for people’s freedom to read."

Our Development and Communications Coordinator, Jenn Meadows, is currently pursuing her Master's in Library and Information Science. She shares some things you can do as a library user to support your local public library, as book bans are on the rise. This year, Banned Books Week is October 1st-October 7th. You can support people's freedom to read by reading a banned book from the list that we have cultivated on our Bookshop! 

Introducing MFSA’s Organizing Associate

Hello! My name is Takundanashe Chinogwenya, and I am the new Organizing Associate at the Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA). I am from Harare, Zimbabwe. Currently, I am a second-year Master of Divinity, Social Justice Advocacy student. My passion lies in social justice advocacy, especially environmental justice, food justice, and racial and gender equality. I strive to be a defender of the vulnerable and marginalized members of society, as is the Christian mandate.

Join MFSA at our gathering at Convocation 2023

Join Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) for a simple breakfast gathering at Convo on Sunday Oct. 15th at 9am ET.  We will have multiple MFSA leaders in attendance (Executive Director, Board of Directors, Program Council Members, and MFSA leaders from all over the connection) and want to connect with each other. Whether you have been a longtime member of MFSA, or you are just hearing about us today all are welcome. We do ask that you register so that we can get an estimate of numbers. 

Storytelling as Resistance: Palestinian Identity and Resilience in Literature for Young People

Did you miss our latest webinar with UMKR? We have uploaded the recording to our YouTube channel and website! Talking about Palestine with our friends and family can be difficult for many of us. In this webinar, we will hear from a diverse panel of professionals - Christian, Muslim, and Jewish - who through their teaching and writing about Palestine for young people, convey a challenging subject in engaging and educational ways that overcome the all-too-common erasure of the Palestinian people and their story. Topics will include the importance of representation and truth-telling and how children can learn about difficult subjects in age-appropriate ways. Booklists, curriculums, and other resources are shared that can help us learn how best to convey the Palestinian story to children. Our discussion and resources should provide valuable insights and learning for Palestine-related conversations and communications with adults as well. 

2023 Harvest of Justice: Farm Workers & Racism: The Struggle for Justice, Respect, & Fair Pay

National Farm Worker Ministries' annual educational program, Harvest of Justice, provides resources including videos, printables, social media content, and more so that you can help your faith group and community learn about issues affecting farm workers. Harvest of Justice is an opportunity to raise consciousness, commitment & contributions. The Harvest of Justice Season falls every year between Labor Day and World Food Day on Oct. 16. 

The 2023 Harvest of Justice is Farm Workers & Racism: The Struggle for Justice, Respect, & Fair Pay. From slavery to sharecropping to exclusions in labor laws, our food system is rooted in racism. Today, our nation’s farm workers continue to face challenges and risks connected to this legacy. 

This educational program features interviews with farm workers and organizers addressing the many ways racism impacts the daily lives of farm workers. The goal of the program is to raise consciousness and encourage NFWM supporters to take action alongside workers. Please share this meaningful program with your community and greater networks.

Stay tuned for our social media toolkit to be utilized between Labor Day and World Food Day on Oct. 16.  

Follow the complete 6-week program or chose what works best for your community:

Racial Audit Implementation Team Announced

In 2017, MFSA committed to becoming an intentionally anti-racist organization. We worked to recruit people of color (POC) to serve on our Board of Directors and staff. At the end of 2019 we continued on our journey towards becoming a more anti-racist organization by forming a Racial Audit Team and partnering with Crossroads Antiracism and Training, a non-profit that focuses on dismantling systemic racism and building anti-racist multicultural diversity within institutions and communities, to conduct a full organizational racial audit. This Racial audit was completed/adopted in Jan 2023 and presented publicly in Feb 2023. In June 2023 the MFSA Board of Directors created the MFSA Racial Audit Implementation Team to implement the recommendations of the Racial Audit. Our goal is to be better structured to perpetuate justice and equity throughout MFSA, our church, and our world.

Now's the Time for Action

Here are a few ways you can seek justice and work for broad systemic change:

1. Send a message to your members of Congress urging them to support the Abortion Justice Act to ensure we have more control of our bodies, lives, and futures.
2. Urge your Governor to maintain expanded Medicaid coverage during the Medicaid unwinding period for all community members, especially families with children and the elderly, who were added to the Medicaid rolls due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
3. Every young person has a First Amendment right to read and learn about the history and viewpoints of all communities – including their own identity – in and outside of the classroom. Sign this petition from the ACLU and receive a toolkit on how you can fight censorship efforts in your community.
4. Read the American Library Association's report on censorship and ban efforts from 2022 and learn how you can advocate for your local library. 
5. Take action for common sense gun reform today. Sign Everytown's petition to disarm hate and demand Congress and state legislatures pass Disarm Hate laws that keep guns out of the hands of those convicted of hate crimes.

6. Don’t allow U.S. aid to fund Israeli human rights abuses. Sign our partner UMKR's petition to urge Congress to support H.R. 3103 in the House and bring a companion bill to the Senate. 

7. Check your voter registration to confirm that you are still registered and your polling location. Encourage your friends and family to register to vote! 

8. Are you curious about what laws and regulations your state has in place to promote suicide prevention? The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has broken down this data state-by-state. Find out more information on what your state is doing to address this public health problem and find ways you can be an advocate for suicide prevention.

9. Pay discrimination is a persistent problem in our country that perpetuates poverty and robs women of what they've earned. The Paycheck Fairness Act would update and strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to ensure that it provides robust protection against sex-based pay discrimination. Contact your congressional representatives today and demand they pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.

10. Sign this petition to urge the Biden-Harris Administration to ensure access to the FDA approved medication, mifepristone, and to take all necessary action to protect patients and providers

In Case You Missed It

1. Access the latest recording and resources from MFSA and UMKR's webinar, "Knowing the Nakba: The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine to Create the State of Israel"
2. Visit the Racial Audit Report page on our website. 
3. Access all five sessions in the Stealing the Earth webinar series, and explore the Dismantling the Doctrine resource list.