Greetings!!!
Welcome to February of 2021 – which is also Black History Month.
Of course, at Black Nonbelievers, the history and celebration of the Black community is year-round. And with this in mind, we began commemorating our 10th Year in existence with our Anniversary Celebration, which took place from January 15th to the 17th in New Orleans, Louisiana.
As I stated previously, this was the perfect place to commemorate this milestone achievement for our organization. Not only is it filled with rich history and a resilient spirit, New Orleans, is also the birthplace of my maternal grandmother, Ethel May Welch. Her non-religious influence and love is what guided my own perspective and helped to shape the activist and organizer that I am today.
The 10th Anniversary Celebration, which featured fantastic presentations by Chris Cameron, Dr. Sabrina Dent, Sikivu Hutchinson, Gayle Jordan, Anthony Magnabosco and more, was a successful hybrid event that complied with all safety and social distancing guidelines. And we also welcomed an even larger online audience, which also included a portion of our speakers. We are happy to know that everyone who attended, whether in person or virtually, enjoyed themselves, and felt completely engaged during what was also Dr. King’s celebration weekend.
If you didn’t have the chance to attend, or missed any portions of the Anniversary Celebration, not to worry – the recordings are available on our YouTube channel.
January 16th, 2021 was also Religious Freedom Day. And I could not think of a better way to acknowledge this than spending it with fellow atheists, nonbelievers, humanists, and questioners who chose to be free FROM religion. The weekend also included speaking with allies for religious freedom, and while we do not all share the same nonreligious perspective, our concern for human rights is parallel. This is also where we are making history – not only do we continue to build our foundation of support for nonbelievers, but we are also breaking barriers and reshaping narratives AND communities. Our voices matter, and this is now being recognized.
So, as we celebrate Black History Month, which has roots in Freethought through Dr. Carter G. Woodson, I ask that you help us continue making history in the years to come. Please make your tax-deductible donation to support our work. Also, be sure to subscribe for announcements and updates.
As always, we encourage you to stay safe and vigilant. We are looking forward to a great year and thank you once again for being part of the BN family!!!
Mandisa Thomas
Founder and President, Black Nonbelievers
#BNChangesLives
“Walking by Sight, NOT Faith!”