From: Denise L. Graves, Board President
I cannot fully embrace the banner of feminism. My lived experience—and the experiences of many other women plus of color—has revealed how feminist movements and institutions have too often excluded us, assaulted our dignity, acted paternalistically, discounted our wisdom, and dismissed our voices and contributions.
For this reason, I continue to live and lead from a womanist understanding of equitable power. This framework calls us to create inclusive and power-balanced communities, ensure genuine access to opportunities, and build partnerships that are truly collegial. It also requires us to respect one another, learn from those who have been othered, confront and own our prejudices, acknowledge the harm we have caused, and participate in repairing personal wounds and systemic assaults.
My four-point offering is rooted in this understanding. It expresses my vision of an irresistible future shaped by equitable community, compassionate accountability, confidence in our sacred gifts and callings, and hope grounded in the Divine.
Vision
It would be easy to say, “I do not know what the future holds.” Yet, for me, remaining in that position could mean allowing others to envision my future for me—deciding which pathways are available, acceptable, or even possible.
I am unwilling to surrender my voice or assume that someone else’s understanding of my womanist-feminist future is better than my own. I choose to imagine and participate in creating that future, informed by the great visionaries of the past, the wisdom-bearers of the present, and those whose visions are still evolving.
I am seeking four things in an irresistible future:
- Equitable and courageous community
Deep confidence in our ability to create spaces that are equitable and respectful, where leadership is porous, wisdom can move in many directions, and people are empowered to act for the greater good as it is revealed.
- Compassionate accountability
Personal confidence and compassion that make room for correction, responsibility, and transformation. This includes the capacity to hear how my behavior—or my allegiance to harmful beliefs, practices, and systems—may have contributed to the othering and increased vulnerability of others.
- Trust in my sacred identity and calling
Acceptance of the revelations at my core: my skills, gifts, soul assignments, and soul communities. I desire the confidence to share what I carry while remaining open to honest questions, mutual learning, and life-giving feedback.
- Hope rooted in the Divine
A courageous hope that participates in creating the highest and greatest good—a hope nourished by divine guidance, unfolding revelation, mystical infusions, sacred encounters, and holy wanderings.
This is not a future I am waiting for someone else to design. It is a future I am willing to envision, speak into being, and help create.
Peace, Denise Graves, Chair, Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation