Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cleveland

Earth Day Stories from Ohio's Gasland
2021-04-11 09:30 - 10:45 (America/New_York)
Speakers: Dr. Debbie Cowden, MD, Director, Ohio Health Project and Board Member, Faith Communities Together for a Sustainable Future (FaCT); Ted Auch, Ph.D, .Director, FracTracker Alliance, Great Lakes Program.

What’s it like to live over a gas fracking well…. or near an injection well? There are 2,400 fracked wells in East Ohio Gasland’s 5 million acres. Those who live there pay a tremendous price via air and water pollution to support our need to cook food and heat our homes.

Telemedicine and Health Care Technology: Am I Satisfied?
2021-03-28 09:30 - 10:45
Speakers: David Lopez, MD, President and CEO, Psychiatry Networks; Mark Rood, Family Medicine Specialist, Cleveland Clinic.

How has Telemedicine affected your healthcare? It saves time and reduces cost. But what about Medicare coverage, lab tests, insurance reimbursement or disadvantaged communities? Have we rushed too far too fast? What does the future hold?

Small Businesses: Chronicling the Effects of Covid-19
2021-03-14 09:30 - 10:45
Speaker(s): Bob Rosenbaum, Advertising and Market Development, Heights Observer; Melissa Hirsch, Owner, Unbar Café, Shaker Heights; Katie Van Dyke, Director, CSU Ohio Small Business Development Center, Cleveland.

Amazon’s profit last quarter: 5.2 billion; Walmart’s recent profits: 1 billion/month. While these earnings show huge gains, the pandemic has particularly hit small business. Many have closed. How can small businesses survive?

Politics and Polling: What Went Wrong?
2021-03-07 09:30 - 10:45
Speakers: Tom Sutton, Political Science Professor, Baldwin Wallace and Director, Community Research Institute.

Biden’s margin of victory was half what had been predicted in 2020. Less than 6% of survey respondents answer phones due to robocalls. Internet polling samples based on income, race, age, or education, pose formidable challenges. Much of democracy depends on being able to understand citizen opinions on Covid19, taxes, racial justice, climate change, immigration, and other issues. Should we trust polls in 2021?

Reproductive Freedom: Supreme Court or State’s Rights
2021-02-28 09:30 - 10:45
Speakers: Jessie Hill, Professor, CWRU Law School; Catrina Otonoga, Preterm Manager, Policy and Partnerships

Since the 1973 Roe v Wade Decision, abortions have grown increasingly restrictive. Between 2011 and 2019, states enacted 483 new abortion restrictions. In 2017 Ohio had 14 facilities providing abortions. Now there are 9. Given the current US Supreme Court, what might happen with abortions, reproductive health care, and funding?

Living with COVID-19: What’s Next Medically?
2021-02-21 09:30 - 10:45
Speakers: Johnie Rose, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor and Program Director, Preventive Medicine Residency Program, CWRU School of Medicine and Director, UH Preventive Medicine Residency

One out of every 17 people in the US has had Covid19. Approximately 80% of the population must be immune before normal lifestyles can return. When might this happen? Are current vaccines effective against mutated Covid19 strains? Distrust is growing, especially in African-American communities.

Community Safety Challenges, Oversight and Reforms
2021-02-07 09:30 - 10:45
Speaker(s): Daniel Flannery, CWRU Professor and Director, Begun Center for Violence Prevention; David Weiss, Mayor of Shaker Heights; Carole Ballard, Director, Education & Training, ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County; Jeffrey DeMuth, Shaker Heights Police Chief.

Nine out of 10 calls for police are for nonviolent encounters. Nationally, there’s talk about defunding the police and reallocating funds to social service agencies. How can communities defuse low-level misdemeanors, keep more people out of jail, and improve racial relations? What’s happening locally?

Mass Incarceration, Judges, and Reentry: An Overview
2021-01-24 09:30 - 10:45
Speakers: Erika Anthony, Executive Director, Ohio Transformation Fund; Crystal Bryant, Director, Cuyahoga County Office of Reentry

The crisis of mass incarceration and racial inequality continues. Of Ohio’s 45,000 inmates, 45% are African American but they comprise only 14% of the population. Judges wield immense power via length of sentence and by fines, fees, and bail. Can our current system be reformed? What local resources exist to address reentry goals for returning citizens?

QAnon Conspiracies, Religion and Politics – What’s Coming?
2021-01-17 09:30 - 10:45
Speakers: Allan Georgia, Ph.D., Director of Religious Education, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cleveland; Timothy Beal, Professor and Chair, CWRU Department of Religious Studies.

QAnon conspiracies and right wing religious cults are on the rise. Why? What are their beliefs? What role can the study of new religious movements play in helping us understand and deal with QAnon conspiracies and those who believe them?

Racism, Health Care Inequities, and the Future
2020-11-22 09:30 - 10:45
Speaker: Dr. Gregory Hall, MD Director, CSU Partnerships for Urban Health; Assistant Professor, CWRU School of Medicine, and Former Chair, Ohio Commission of Minority Health.

Covid-19 and other diseases disproportionately affect African Americans in severity and numbers. Life expectancy in poverty stricken African American areas of Cleveland is typically more than 20 years less than that of more affluent, white communities. Given organizational pledges to address racism as a public health crisis, what progressive healthcare actions will we see in the near future, locally and statewide?

The 2020 Presidential Election: What Happened?
2020-11-15 09:30 - 10:45
Speakers: Tom Sutton, Political Science Professor, Baldwin Wallace, and Director, Community Research Institute

Ohio has 8 million registered voters. Turnout was 55% in 2018. What was it in 2020? What role did Covid-19, economic uncertainty, grassroots activism, protests, gerrymandering, online negative messaging, and super-PACS play in this election? How have the political parties been changed? Have women and minorities made a difference in election turnout, or other issues?

Crisis in Journalism, Democracy, and the Facts
2020-11-08 09:30 - 10:45
Speaker: Brent Larkin, PD Columnist, and former PD Editor

Democracy is based on the will of informed citizens. Truth and facts are the basis of journalism. Without public accountability, corruption can flourish in all levels of government. Given our political division, the decline of fact based journalism, and the rise of social media, a comprehensive solution is needed. Should public funding be used to support qualified journalists and news media?

A Contested Presidential Election? What's at Stake?
2020-11-01 09:30 - 10:45
Speakers: Jonathan Entin, David L. Brennan Professor Emeritus of Law and Adjunct Professor of Political Science, CWRU

The November election is happening against a backdrop of unprecedented social, political, and economic challenges. Misinformation has been spread about the rarity of election fraud. Early winners cannot be announced in all states since approximately 40% of absentee ballots will not be counted till election day, a major factor in legally postponing official election results. If the incumbent president prematurely announces a victory, will the Supreme Court or the House of Representatives intervene and declare a winner? What might happen if the authority of the Constitution is not unilaterally recognized and accepted in this election?

Frank Talk on the Protest Movement
2020-10-25 09:30 - 10:45
Speaker(s): Richard Perloff, CSU Professor of Communication; Rachael Collyer, Organizer and Program Director, Ohio Student Association; Melekte Melaku, ACLU Cleveland Organizing Strategist

How effective are protests in changing systemic racism? Organized dissent provides a powerful mechanism for marginalized voices to be heard. Are protests more compelling than progressive legislation? What produces lasting, progressive change in combatting racism?

Covid 19: Research, Projections and the Future
2020-10-18 09:30 - 10:45
Speaker: Dr. Amy Ray, MD, Director, Metro-Health System Infection Prevention, CWRU Associate Professor of Medicine; and Member, Infectious Disease Society of America

Covid 19 research, tests, and clinical trials for a vaccine have been locally and internationally prioritized. What’s the status of a Covid-19 vaccine? Can we develop a universal vaccine for different strains of the virus? There are currently more than 100 vaccines and 250 therapies related to Covid-19 being tested. How long will it take to produce and dispense millions of vaccine doses. How might the realities of Covid-19 testing and outbreaks affect your lifestyle this winter?

White Privilege, Daily Life and Racism
2020-10-11 09:30 - 10:45
Speakers: Racial Justice Leadership Team, UU Congregation of Cleveland

In what ways does white skin color provide tremendous advantage in our culture and everyday lives? Is this hierarchy of unearned white privilege overt, subconscious or both? During this forum specific questions will be asked to document and deconstruct our own subtle and visible privilege and power. We’ll explore how increased awareness of white privilege can help us work individually and collectively toward justice.

Navigating Psychological Effects of Covid 19
2020-10-04 09:30 - 10:45
Speaker: Karen Hurley, Psychologist and Assistant Professor, CWRU School of Medicine

Along with increased time at home with family, the pandemic is causing a marked rise in stress, depression, suicide, domestic abuse, loneliness and other psychological problems. How can we personally and collectively alleviate the mental distress, and increase the positive impact of staying at home with work oriented pressure?

Police Accountability: Racism, Reforms and the Future
2020-09-20 09:30 - 10:45
Speaker(s): Lewis Katz, Professor, CWRU School of Law; Ronnie Dunn, CSU Associate Professor of Urban Affairs; Kareem Henton, Cleveland Co-Founder, Black Lives Matter

The U.S. has the highest prison population (2.3 million) in the world. Nationally, black men are almost 2 1/2 times more likely than white men to be arrested or killed by police. In Ohio 45% of the prison population is African American but they comprise only 14% of the state population. How can police embrace reforms, and create trust between residents and police?

Renewable Energy Action Plans - Is Your Town Included?
2020-04-26 09:00 - 10:00
Speaker: Tom Bullock, Member, Local Government’s Clean Energy Caucus and Member, Lakewood City Council

Given global warming, city and suburban governments are collaborating via a Caucus to dramatically increase clean energy by 2025. LED street lights, solar systems in government buildings, clean power purchases, and other action plans are being debated and approved by local elected officials. Is your town included?

The Economy and Covid-19
2020-04-19 09:30 - 10:45
UUCC Forum: The Economy and Covid-19

Age Friendly Cleveland and My Future: What's Coming?
2020-02-23 09:30 - 10:45
Speakers: Will Tarter, Public Policy and External Affairs Associate, Center for Community Solutions; Mary McNamara, Director, Cleveland Department of Aging

Aging in place works! Cleveland is home to more than 70,000 people age 60 and older who have a wide range of characteristics, abilities, strengths and needs. The new Age-Friendly Cleveland Action Plan, developed by the Center for Community Solutions (CCS), is comprised of 21 strategies to handle community needs, including assisted living, home health care and many other creative resources. How do the CCS future plans fit into the needs of the county’s aging population?

Video Unavailable

Gender Issues, Challenges, and New Directions
2020-02-16 09:30 - 10:45
Speaker(s): Phyllis Harris, Director, LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland; Dr. Henry NG, Physician, Cleveland Clinic Center for LGBT+Care; Ayron Evans; Ellie Turan

Gender exists on a spectrum. Trans and non-binary identities are reality for an increasing number of people. Are our individual actions and language inclusive in a proactive, healthy way? What steps can be taken to improve acceptance and support for the LGBTQ community?

Video Unavailable

Diversity and Inclusion: Top Down or Bottom Up?
2020-02-02 09:30 - 10:45
Speaker(s): Randall McShepard, Vice-President of Public Affairs, RPM, Inc, and Chair, Policy Bridge; John Paul Stephens, Associate Professor, Organizational Behavior, CWRU Weatherhead School of Managemen

What constitutes a healthy, growing, diverse Community? Is it passionate commitment from the bottom up, or engaged leadership from the top down? What are the impediments to develop new diverse leadership? How do we personally experience real diversity or inclusion in the community or workplace?

Brexit: Financial, US and International Impact
2020-01-26 09:00 - 10:00
Speaker: Elliot Posner, Professor and Acting Chair, CWRU Department of Political Science

Alliances among nations are weakening. Why does Great Britain want to leave the European Union? Might other countries leave the EU also? How does this affect us? If Britain’s tariff-free status with other EU members is eliminated, how will US trade and travel in these countries be affected?
