Unitarian fellowship said Black Lives Matter banner stolen

Members of a Unitarian fellowship in Stony Brook say the apparent theft last month of their Black Lives Matter banner won’t deter them from expressing their views.

When the 4-foot-by-8-foot sign went missing, the congregation quickly erected a new one that they had in reserve. And they ordered a stash of spares in case the banner is stolen again.

“We wanted to continue to make that statement and we don’t want to let that act [the theft] dictate what our stand is,” said fellowship member Tom Pelletier. “We’re going to continue to make our stand known on that.”

The Unitarian Universalist congregation of about 250 members had put up the banner last spring, shortly after George Floyd was killed on May 25 in Minneapolis when a police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes.

Staff at the fellowship on Nicolls Road discovered the banner was missing on Aug. 31. The fellowship is holding only virtual services because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Suffolk police said they are aware of the incident.

The fellowship’s pastor, the Rev. Margie Allen, said she was not surprised by the theft because of a similar incident four years ago. In that incident, a banner — also emblazoned with the words Black Lives Matter — was defaced with graffiti, she said.

Allen said her house was egged several days after the banner went missing. Though she is not sure they were connected, she said the two events felt like “a more personal violation."

“There’s always a concern that bad things happen when you stand up for what’s right,” she said. “People have worried about some crazy, bigoted person coming in with a gun and shooting folks. It’s scary, and since we’re always kind of out there on the edge, we’re in danger of being complacent about the actions that our statements will draw.”

Allen said the banner taken last month was quickly replaced because congregants believe strongly in promoting equality and social justice.

“We think it’s important for this idea to be out there and it’s in line with what we believe about taking care of the most vulnerable people in society,” Allen said. “We want to keep this idea out there that there are people who are left out and are not afforded the same treatment as everyone else.”

Unitarian Universalists draw their theological ideas from both Christian and Jewish traditions. The Stony Brook fellowship, formed in 1962, is one of 12 in Suffolk, Nassau and Queens.

Sara Lutterbie, president of the congregation’s board of trustees, said she also was not shocked by the theft because of the incident four years ago.

“Obviously, there are some people who disagree with us,” she said. “But we also have received some phone calls from people who said they are so happy to see that we put it up again.”

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.