Dr. David Domke, our 2024 Fleagle Lecturer, will deliver the sermon. Music by Ian Loney, tenor; and Dwight Beckmeyer, piano.

Sermon: Selma to Seattle: It’s Our Time to Cross the Bridge

Almost exactly 59 years ago, on March 7, 1965, courageous Americans marching for voting rights and justice were badly beaten by Alabama State Troopers in what became known as Bloody Sunday. In response, Dr. Martin Luther King called “Americans of conscience” to come to Selma, to join the fight for democracy. Some Unitarian Universalists went, and two were killed. Today, it’s our moment and our time to stand up, together, and follow the call of American hero John Lewis who led the way on Bloody Sunday: “When we pray, we must move our feet.” Let’s go.

Order of Service

Click here for links and information about attending the service in person or via livestream.

Fleagle Lecture—1:30 p.m. in the chapel and via live stream

American Democracy in Peril: What History Tells Us and How We Take Action Today

The United States is in a time of tectonic social upheaval, comparable in transformation and turmoil to some of the most defining eras in the nation’s history. At the heart of this moment are shifting racial, technological, and political patterns in America’s electorate. The impact and implications are omnipresent, from the rise of the Tea Party and Donald Trump on the political right to #blacklivesmatter and The Resistance on the political left. The civic choices that we make today—literally right now—will determine the future of American democracy and justice. This lecture will discuss both this historical moment and the work of Common Power, an organization based in Seattle that educates, develops leaders, and mobilize voters in critical elections across the country. Through our TIME and TREASURE, we can make a significant impact in the fight for democracy and passage of a new voting rights act.

About David Domke

David Domke worked as a journalist for several newspapers in the 1980s and early 1990s before earning a PhD in 1996. He is a Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington. His research has focused on communication, politics, and public opinion in the United States. In recent years David has worked closely with several organizations, including Common Power, on communication and civic action. In 2002 he received the University of Washington’s Distinguished Teaching Award. In 2006, he was named the Washington state Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. He can eat more than two dozen chocolate chip cookies in one sitting. (See more at https://com.uw.edu/people/faculty/david-domke/.)