Justice Advocacy Corner
Welcome to the Justice Advocacy Corner! Here is a central hub for information sent to the UUCB Office about what steps can be taken to stand up for justice - on both local and federal levels.
From the 50501 Movement
Join Us Nov. 27th - Dec. 1st for
This Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday – let’s make our dollars count. We’re asking Americans to hit pause on shopping from major corporations.
In 2024, 196.7 million Americans shopped during Thanksgiving weekend. Thanksgiving retail week is a crucial period for big retailers; nearly 20% of annual sales happen between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
The truth is, we have the power, and not just as individual consumers. Learn how you can take action in your community this holiday season:
- Full Black Out: Don’t buy anything from Target, Amazon, Home Depot, and other major stores supporting this administration's policies during Nov 28 - Dec 1.
- Redirect Spending: Shop small, local, or with businesses affirming our humanity.
- Take the Pledge: Pledge to be a conscious consumer.
- Amplify: Spread the word. Share the message in conversation and online.
Target has rolled back their DEI initiatives. Amazon holds a monopolistic position in the market and CEO Jeff Bezos has donated over $1 million to this administration. Home Depot is allowing ICE to illegally detain and kidnap laborers from their stores.
Until these companies cease collaborating with this administration, our dollars will go elsewhere. #WeAintBuyingIt
Local Actions
Redistricting - Contact Governor Braun
Governor Braun is being pressured to call a special session to redistrict Indiana's congressional districts, which would normally wait till 2030. Nine of the 11 districts are already gerrymandered GOP. The aim is to gerrymander the map further to flip one or both Democratic districts to the GOP. This is not politics as usual; it's election rigging to grab power and is a danger to democracy. We encourage people to contact the governor and their assembly members to oppose this blatant cheating. More info is available here: https://tinyurl.com/3vefayur
Elected Official Phone Numbers
Gov. Braun: 317-232-4567
State Rep: 317-232-9600
State Senator: 317-232-9400
The clean energy tax credit clock is ticking. Act Now!
With HR1 (One Big “Budget” Bill) now law, 2026 marks the end of thousands in savings for home electrification upgrades.
The average American home has room for improvement when it comes to energy efficiency. From leaky windows that let conditioned air escape to aging HVAC systems that work overtime to maintain comfortable temperatures, most homes have real opportunities for improvement.
Through 2025 you can save up to $2,000 with tax credits on heat pump systems, $1200 in building envelope improvements (insulation, windows, etc.), and 30% tax credits for clean energy systems (think solar).
For more information visit energysage.com.
Indiana also offers an income based program that can help qualifying homeowners add to their savings with rebates on home efficiency improvements and appliance upgrades. For more information on that visit the Indiana Office of Energy Development.
Find Your Legislators!
Use the link below to find your legislators.
https://iga.in.gov/information/find-legislators
- Also, consider using the "5-calls" app - Susan Swaney, our Director of Music, recently recommended this. It is an easy way to make 5-calls a day to your representatives and legislators covering the topics you would like to express. The team behind the app does research on policies and even writes scripts that are helpful to use when calling your legislators. Click this link to find out more: https://5calls.org/
- Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray recently mentioned a very helpful tool for getting in contact with her representatives - her phone! She saves all of their numbers in her phone with their names, affiliations, and job title. That way, when you have an issue you would like to discuss with their offices, their phone numbers are already saved to your phone. Taking the time to do this once makes the effort much easier later!
Resources
From Side with Love
"Grounded, Resilient, & Responsible. Responding and Organizing In Authoritarian Times" Webinar Slides (PDF)
"Grounded, Resilient, & Responsible. Responding and Organizing In Authoritarian Times" Toolkit (PDF)
Information about Bills and Policies
This is a good overview of how federal cuts in workforce personnel harms our local communities: https://mailchi.mp/monroedems/action-alert-71022-call-houchin-no-doge?e=f94d1e7939
