My name is Denise Graves, and I serve as Chair of the Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation (UUWF). I am committed to UUWF because I believe in the power of transformation and in preparing ourselves—and future generations—to actively contribute to the wholeness and well-being of every life.
For me, the clearest model for movement-building is a good mother—many of whom have raised me, shaped me, and challenged me toward deeper growth and fuller becoming.
Bringing wholesome change takes intentionality, consistency, respect, and care. When pain shapes our responses, we often need support to imagine what is truly needed beyond relief. Stopping pain may bring reprieve, but it does not always prevent it from returning to us or harming someone else. That is where creativity matters. To mother the movement is to be vigilant, steadfast, compassionate, and committed to helping ourselves and others build a life that is equitable, affirming, and welcoming of our diversity.
Fannie Lou Hamer mothered the fight for equitable voting access and equal representation in democracy. Her vigilance, courage, and refusal to be silenced remain a powerful example for me. That example deepens when I remember that she was subjected to a “Mississippi appendectomy,” sterilized without her consent. Even so, her labor for liberation—in word, principle, and practice—make her an enduring model of mothering the movement.
As a community and pulpit pastor, and as part of a culture-bearer elder support team, I see myself mothering through teaching, coordinating steady care, and tending to spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, economic, relational, and social wounds with action informed by a hope for a better future.
As Chair of the Board of Directors for the Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation (UUWF), I am proud to dedicate my time to this organization because we are deeply engaged in the important work of supporting, empowering, and mobilizing women+ and their allies in the pursuit of gender justice. This work sustains and inspires both new and seasoned activists. I also contribute financially because I want to see our impact grow and reach even further. I hope you’ll join me as we celebrate the Mothering the Movement Month.
Mothering is Courageous Spiritual Labor