William Norris

NORRIS, William "Bill" 67, of Malden, passed away at Spaulding Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, West Roxbury, after a prolonged illness. Bill wasa native of Alabama, a longtime Boston resident, a war-time veteran of the United States Air Force, a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and an employee of Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Bill is survived by a large close-knit circle of friends who knew him as an accomplished needlework artist, clothing designer, actor, singer, and baker. In addition to those talents, Norris was well known in the Unitarian Universalist Association for his work in antiracism, diversity, and inclusion. Bill traveled the US working with UU churches and conducting "Beyond Categorical Thinking" workshops. These workshops are aimed at helping local church leadership promote inclusive thinking as their congregations search for new ministers. He was also instrumental in the creation of the "Black Empowerment Oral History Project", a video archive of first-hand participants in the so-called Black Empowerment Controversy within the UUA that created a deep rift in the association during the 1960s and 1970s. Growing up in Montgomery, AL at the height of the civil rights movement, and serving in the US military as a gay man of color made Norris especially well suited to confront issues of discrimination. Bill served on many diversity committees, spoke at numerous functions, and exploited every opportunity to promote diversity and inclusion. A memorial celebration of his life will be held at the Arlington Street Church, 351 Boylston St., Boston on October 22, at 2 PM, followed by a reception and display of his artwork. In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made in Bill Norris' name to the MassArt Foundation, 621 Huntington Av, Boston, MA 02155 to establish a fund for the annual Adderley Lecture Program at MassArt.