2026 Sewell Social Justice Lecture: AI as a Tool for Oppression and for Resistance & Liberation
2026-04-25 13:00 - 16:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Main Sanctuary, 1211 SW Main St, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
Sylvester Johnson explores AI as a force that can entrench systemic control or catalyze human agency. Lecture 1pm; Optional Workshop 3pm.
Register here!

AI as a Tool for Oppression and for Resistance & Liberation:
Lecture: 1-2:30 pm
Join us in person to explore how AI can be both a force of control and a powerful ally in the fight for freedom. Dr. Johnson will dive into the ways technology shapes society, from surveillance to activism, and discuss how to harness AI for positive change.
Optional Workshop: 3-4:30 pm
Please join us for Dr. Johnson’s optional workshop after the lecture. We’ll explore more deeply the implications of AI for social justice and identify ways to take action in our communities.
Summary:
AI introduces profound risks to privacy, the integrity of information, and collective well-being. We will critically examine the tension between state-sponsored surveillance, which poses an existential threat to civil liberties, and the rise of democratized civic technology fueled by the plummeting costs of computing and expanding access to information. Ultimately, Dr. Johnson details the building of an automated infrastructure of oppression and how we can leverage these powerful tools to create a new era of resistance and liberation.

Rumble on the River Data Centers Forum
2026-04-28 17:30 - 20:00 | Main Sanctuary, 1211 SW Main St, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
As a follow up to our Sewell Lecture about AI as a Tool for Oppression and for Resistance & Liberation, First Unitarian is hosting a session on data centers in Oregon. Aside from providing limited long-term employment opportunities and receiving tax breaks, data centers demand extreme amounts of water, energy and land.
The excellent panel includes Klickitat Chief Wilbur Slockish, John DeVoe from WaterWatch, Kaleb Lay from Oregon Rural Action, Nellie McAdams from Oregon Agricultural Trust, Kelsey Shaw Nakama from Tualatin Riverkeepers, and Jody Wiser from Tax Fairness Oregon. Moderator: Barbara Bernstein, Filmmaker and host of KBOO Radio’s Locus Focus.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for tabling. Session begins at 6:30 p.m.

*Registration Closed* Journey to Articulating Your Faith
2026-05-13 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-06-10 17:30 - 19:30 | OR
A Spiritual Development Opportunity for Adults of All Ages
Join Rev. Alison and Rev. Tom for an 8-session course of theological exploration and discovery. Together, we will trace our spiritual paths, explore our understandings of the sacred, human nature, and religious practice, and develop our personal credos: an expression of our most sacred beliefs and fundamental values that guide our lives. We will also get a chance to learn a little more about Unitarian Universalist history and build community with one another!
**Registration is now closed.**
Schedule: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. on November 12, December 10, January 14, February 11, March 11, April 8, May 13, and June 10.
