The Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston (UUCR) discovered on Thursday, May 20, that the Black Lives Matter banner that they fly at the entrance of their property on a major street in Reston, had been stolen – for the third time in the past year. First erected following the murder of George Floyd, the banner is a symbol to support UUCR's commitment to racial justice.
"We will not be deterred by these hate crimes," said the Rev. Dr. Debra W. Haffner, minister at UUCR. "Once the vandalized poles are fixed, we will replace the stolen banner with a new one. And we will replace every banner that is stolen. Our religion calls us to welcome and include all people, assure all people's rights, and to live our faith aloud."
The Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston was founded 50 years ago to provide a voice for liberal religion that embraces all. UUCR's new strategic plan includes a commitment to work for racial and environmental justice. Its mission is to nurture spirituality, the individual search for truth and meaning, and to help heal injustices in our community, state, nation, and world.