UPDATE: The Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship says their Black Lives Matter banner has been stolen again.
The Fellowship re-dedicated a new Black Lives Matter banner on their Calumet Road sign on Friday, July 15. They say the banner was stolen again before 9 a.m. Monday morning.
"We are saddened and deeply disturbed by the recent criminal activity on our property," Interim Senior Minister Reverend Rolenz said. "As soon as a new sign is ordered, we'll replace it. Whoever has been stealing the sign obviously has not read our explanation of why we continue to hang a Black Lives Matter sign and what it means to us, a predominantly white congregation. We encourage members of the community to go to our website (www.fvuuf.org) and read about our sign. I'd be happy to meet with anyone who wants to have a conversation. However, for those who commit a crime, we have no choice but to prosecute."
The congregation had the banner hanging on their road sign since February 2015.
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Members of the Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Appleton say a stolen Black Lives Matter banner will be replaced. Members of the mostly white congregation say they're not surprised the banner was stolen over the weekend.
"The recent deaths of African American men during police encounters in Baton Rouge, St. Paul and the sniper killings of police officers in Dallas have produced the number of phone calls and conversations we've received about the banner;" Interim Senior Minister Rev, Kathleen Rolenz explained. "We hang the banner to invite those conversations, so we can tell other white people what 'Black Lives Matter' means to the white people in this congregation."
Rolenz called the theft an "act of political vandalism" and a "cowardly way to express a point of view." The new banner will be installed on Friday, July 15 at 5:30 PM.
