Geneva’s Unitarian Universalist Church hosts Rachelle Zola’s ‘Late: A Love Story’ experience

Noted activist, advocate and storyteller Rachelle Zola will bring her one-woman experience, “Late: A Love Story,” to the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva on Friday, Nov. 6. The performance, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 7 p.m. in the church, 102 S. Second St. in downtown Geneva.

Through storytelling, personal reflection and a commitment to human connection, Zola will invite audiences to consider how love, dialogue and shared humanity can move us toward a world free of racism.

In September 2024, Zola completed an 825-mile walking pilgrimage from Chicago to Montgomery, Ala. via Selma, Ala. Along the route, she performed “Late: A Love Story” and engaged with people from diverse backgrounds, listening to their stories, and sharing her vision of a more loving world.

“Rachelle embodies the possibility of a more united America,” said Lisa W., who attended one of Zola’s performances. “Her journey shows that through love and dialogue, healing is possible.”

The pilgrimage was one of several actions Zola has undertaken in pursuit of racial justice. Most recently, she concluded a 30-day silent encounter entitled “The Body I Was Given” at four host sites in Chicago and Geneva. The project invited people to sit silently across from Zola, creating space to encounter one another beyond words and to recognize their shared humanity.

“I cannot change the body I was born into. And I can decide what I do with it, and how I use my voice to move toward people, to make space. Liberation means truly seeing each other and being free to be ourselves,” Zola said.

“Late: A Love Story” brings Zola’s activism and personal journey to audiences, offering them an opportunity to reflect on the power of listening, the importance of confronting racism, and the possibility of building a more connected and compassionate society.

About the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva

Founded in 1842, the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva is the oldest church in Geneva, Ill., part of a centuries-old liberal religious tradition that values reason and free thought over dogma and creed. The church is a unique religious voice in the community, offering worship services and religious education programs that draw on diverse spiritual traditions, as well as outreach initiatives that advance social justice causes locally and around the world. Learn more at uusg.org.