Several members of RVUUF attended the very moving and powerful “Say their Names” candlelight vigil held on May 23, 2026 at Wesley Hall.

Below is an excerpt from the Ashland.news writeup of the event:

“The Ashland Sunrise Project held a “Say Their Names” candlelight vigil Saturday, May 23, at Wesley Hall, behind the United Methodist Church, to honor victims of racial violence and bring the community together in remembrance.
The Ashland Sunrise Project, part of the Oregon Remembrance Project (ORP), aims to help former “sundown towns” become “sunrise communities” where everyone can feel safe and respected.

The May 23 event was the first in a series of vigils leading up to the March 2027 unveiling of Ashland artist Micah Blacklight’s sculpture called ‘Ancestor’s Future: Crystallizing Our Call.’

Each vigil will read off different names of victims from police brutality or racial violence, along with honoring their personal stories, humanizing the names and real lives lost to racial violence.”