CANTON -- The Unitarian Universalist Church of Canton has taken a visible step to demonstrate its support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

On Monday a Black Lives Matter banner was installed on the church’s bell tower. The church, which was first established in 1825, embraces its Judeo-Christian roots as well as the wisdom of all religions, and has a history of promoting human rights and standing up to inequality and oppression.

The church includes residents from Canton and Potsdam, and from Massena, Nicholville, Brasher Falls and other areas of the county.

The church’s minister, the Rev. James Galasinski, explains, “It is important to us to be a voice of social justice in our community. We are primarily a white church, but we want to show the community, including college students, what we stand for.” Black Lives Matter is an international activist movement that campaigns against violence and systemic racism toward black people.

“Of course we believe all lives matter,” says the Rev. Galasinski. “We believe in the worth and dignity of every person. Yet we recognize historically marginalized and oppressed groups, and we want to be vocal and visible in our support of them.”

“Unitarian Universalists have not always led the way when it comes to race,” says Barbara Beekman, president of Church Council, the congregation’s governing body. “But our faith compels us to learn and move forward to support initiatives like Black Lives Matter.”

Following a sermon that focused on the civil rights movement of the 1960s and progress that has been made and “dreams that have been deferred,” the congregation had an open discussion about support of Black Lives Matter and the installation of the banner on the historic building. As the Rev. Galasinski describes it, the shared sentiment is that, in the current climate of fear and hate, “we want to stand on the side of love.”

To learn more about the congregation and its support of Black Live Matter and other social justice issues, visit www.uucantonny.org.

The Unitarian Universalist Church is located at 3½ East Main Street, across from the park in Canton. Sunday worship and religious education for children and youth begin at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome.