The United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) began with a few individuals faced with the challenges of working in their iso- lated communities and it has grown into a broad-based grassroots multiethnic human rights alliance with a vision of justice for all people. Made up of some of the leading community organizations across the Chicagoland area, we have been driven by some of the most immediate and pressing needs of our communities. For decades— drawing from a variety of organizing principles—we inadvertently pursued isolated myopic victories—we have won, but we have won alone, and oftentimes, our victories have been short-lived.

As the United Congress, we are building the capacity of all of our communities to win together. We have created the People’s Platform and policy papers that articulate our shared principles and priorities. With a vision of deeply-rooted relationships committed to long-term systemic change, we have developed conferences, summits and retreats, to share our lived experiences and build power across racial, ethnic, religious and geographic boundaries to move a policy agenda together.

We live in unique times. Never before has such an intense level of diversity defined every level of our society. In light of this reality, we stand confronted with an entirely new and distinct set of challenges and opportunities to actualize the lofty ideals of America in unprecedented ways. Led by people of color, the United Congress is distinctly positioned to mobilize people, policy and ideals as it works to create better living conditions for all American families by advancing a transformative shared policy agenda for change.