On the so-called secular “movement”

I have not been active in the atheist or secular community for years and that is in large part due to disillusionment. This was predictable, I kind of saw it coming. I entered the community as many did in 2009, when many of us Black atheists found one another. But I found myself constantly disappointed by the regressive politics and anti-blackness that I encountered. There were only so many jokes I could tolerate about Black churchgoers, only so many times I could stomach hearing Black believers called “sheeple”. Constantly I was finding that atheist activism, and Black atheist activism by extension, amounted to little more than bitching about religion and having parties. My disappointment culminated in the betrayal of some of the individuals I partnered with hoping to be the change I wanted to see. I speak of my experience with POCBF as well as a short-lived stint where I tried to co-lead an organization known as Chocolate City Skeptics. I don’t want to rehash anything specifically that happened. I already named what happened with POCBF in my previous post and I don’t wish to discuss it further. 

During the time I was in the “movement”, Kimberly Veal, Jenn, myself, and a smattering of others criticized the movement for its lack of engagement with social justice. We were able to influence organizations to address and sometimes discuss social justice issues like the death of Mike Brown. And though I was and continue to be disappointed with the “movement” at-large, I am proud to have been a part of pushing these issues to the forefront. 

Moving forward, I want to continue to highlight issues of social and political justice. I will continue at times to critique the atheist and secular communities where I feel that it is appropriate. With that said, I find it interesting that there has been little to no criticism over the House Resolution that passed naming anti-Zionism as antisemitic. As though such a notion does not cast anti-Zionist Jews and those protesting on behalf of a Ceasefire or on behalf of the people of Palestine as antisemitic. Where is the concern for the separation of church and state when our tax dollars are used to support the killing, bombardment, and displacement of Palestinians by a religious ethno-fascist apartheid regime? And I must write this, unfortunately, because it should go without saying that all people deserve safety, but none of this is said as a form of support for Hamas or terrorism. But as a Black American woman who has lived with a kaleidoscope of oppressions and is herself a product of people who survived enslavement, racist terroristic violence, and systemic racism, I have to name a thing a thing. No matter how one feels about what happened on October 7th, the response of the IDF has been disproportionate. 

You would think that so-called humanists, interested in ethics, free speech, democracy, etc. would want to weigh in on what is happening in Israel/Palestine. Admittedly, these issues are difficult to discuss, and require effort to resist persons or agendas that seek to promote antisemitism or stoke hatred towards Palestinians, Arabs, or Muslims. There are problematic parties on either side that must be managed in order to facilitate what is sure to be a difficult discussion in good faith. Difficult discussions, however, are necessary. And it is disappointing to see that there are no discussions or attempts at educating the secular and atheist communities regarding this conflict. This is not only irresponsible, but it betrays the fact that these communities are only concerned with the narrow politics of middle-class white males and catering to the bemusement they get from shitting on religious communities of color. The bemusement they obtain from making fun of the perceived lack of intelligence of religious communities of color and pointing out the harms and oppressions they participate in. Or in the satisfaction those same white males get from expressing Islamophobia and Western chauvinism, like those who defected to the intellectual dark web. It is not a coincidence that the political/cultural backlash that we are seeing against a pluralistic democracy and progressive politics also finds itself largely aligned with a White Christian Nationalist fascism that is also invested in supporting the apartheid regime of Israel because they see it as a way to hasten the return of Christ otherwise known as the ‘Second Coming’ (see John Hagee, March for Israel Rally). The similarity of the secular Far-Right agenda and the religious Far-Right agenda, made for an easy transition from atheist activism to Christian Nationalist activism for Ayaan Hirsi Ali. One wonders who will defect to Christian Nationalism next? This is similar to the right-ward shift we saw when American Atheists, under President, Dave Silverman, began attending CPAC. They even sponsored a black speaker who engaged in historical revisionism, predating the narratives of the anti-CRT “movement” by 9 years. Why is no one else pointing out these connections? 

 It is disappointing that none of these atheist/secular/humanist organizations and particularly the Black and multiracial groups in the community have spent little to no time addressing the connection between the violence, over policing, and surveillance of communities of color here in the US and the occupation of Palestinian territories. Several organizations including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) have sponsored police training in Israel. And these trainings could become a part of the training offered at ‘Cop City’ in Atlanta, GA through the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE) program (Stop Cop City activists link GILEE program to Palestinian genocide (prismreports.org)). A petition to put ‘Cop City’ to a vote was turned in today, December 13, 2023, however the 116,000 signatures will need to be validated. But even if those signatures meet the threshold required, there are pending Appellate court decisions that may kill this effort. In one of these cases the city argues that the petition is void because it would illegally terminate a contract and violate state law. Additionally, 61 forest defenders/Stop ‘Cop City’ activists have been indicted on RICO charges for their efforts to thwart the construction of ‘Cop City’. These and other instances highlight how fragile American democracy is, how vulnerable people of color and ethnic minorities are, and how domestic and foreign policy influence each other- in other words how seemingly disparate issues are interconnected. 

So-called humanists must care more about the world around them. They need to demonstrate that they care not only about theocratic religions but secular ones too (like nationalism). So-called humanists should be attempting to bridge understandings and foster compassion. How small-minded does one have to be to think that with all that is going on currently that all that’s left to find freedom from is religion and faith? I see many faith organizations on the front lines, and many have always been. Faithful organizers have participated in helping to expand access to family planning, to education, and social justice. Where are you? What side do you stand on? And for marginalized people in the atheist/secular/ humanist community, when will you stop fighting for, speaking for, and being tokenized for agendas and organizations that refuse to stand up for all of you, to demand justice for all of you, to promote all of who you are? It is time to let it go. 

They Knew

Recently some allegations have been leveled against a prominent member of the Atheist/Secular community. The person in question, Mandisa Thomas, is named in a recent open letter written by several of the chapters of her 501-C3 organization, known as Black Nonbelievers, or BN for short. This post is not for getting into the details of these recent allegations but to highlight that these and other allegations related to this figure have circulated throughout the community from the onset. Many of the allegations concerned sexually inappropriate behavior, including sexual assault, harassment, and coercion by the head of the organization and others she protected. Many individuals who came forward have either been silenced or left the community. Some experienced bullying and other forms of abuse and harm to their reputations. And to those individuals, I hope that you feel comfortable and supported enough to come forward again. I also hope that you feel somewhat vindicated, as several of you clocked and called out this behavior as much as a decade ago.

Now I would like to address those who knew. I am speaking of those who participated, collaborated, funded and provided cover to this behavior. Perhaps, in the beginning, there was room to say, “we don’t really know what happened” or “that’s just a rumor” however, over the years many instances have accumulated and several individuals have shared their stories among the community. Some of these concerns were shared with individuals with decision making authority within major secular organizations like American Humanist Association, also known as AHA. Some of these individuals were complicit in that they knew and had concerns themselves about fiscal as well as sexual impropriety but opted to continue their relationships with BN due to the popularity of Ms. Thomas within the community and her ability to “put asses in seats”. I don’t know that I have space, time, or even evidence to point fingers at each and every individual who knew but I can say without a shadow of a doubt that former members of People of Color Beyond Faith (POCBF), namely Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson and Donald Wright were well aware of many of these outrages. I can say that we have had direct conversations via phone conferences we had as part of the planning and running of our short lived alliance. Short lived in part, because there was a desire to bring Ms. Thomas on board to enhance the organization’s profile. This was unacceptable to me and the other founding members of the organization: Kimberly Veal and Jenn Taylor, as the three of us conceived the organization as well as the conferences we held, though Dr. Hutchinson conceived the name. When Ms. Thomas’s attacks on my friend and colleague, Kimberly Veal, became too much for her to take, she retaliated on her show. This act brought a lot of criticism down on Kimberly, some perhaps was warranted, but much of it was not. The podcast in question divided our organization and it was clear to me and to Jenn that it was Dr. Hutchinson and Mr. Wright’s intention to marginalize Kimberly within the organization and bring Ms. Thomas aboard. We resisted and that was the end of their participation in POCBF. I bring this up because like Dr. Hutchinson, Mr. Wright, and several other figures in the community were aware of the problematic nature of how Ms. Thomas ran her organization, and it is just as important to hold these individuals accountable as it is to hold Ms. Thomas herself accountable. As the #MeToo movement has taught us, sexually inappropriate behavior and sexual assault often flourish when people are willing to look the other way. And make no mistake this was willful neglect.

In the years that have passed between then and now, we see that the Atheist /Secular community is in shambles. Many of its once prominent figures have since been similarly disgraced or have seen their influence decrease, and frankly much of this is probably for the best. I do not miss the dudebros and “firebrand” atheists who thought it appropriate to taunt African American religious communities with billboards saying “Slaves obey your masters.” or folks who spent their time attacking those who practice Islam. It should surprise no one that some of these folks have been apart of or have views which intersect with those of the Intellectual Dark Web. Just as it should surprise no one that the Atheist/Secular community has largely been absent in any critiques of White Christian Nationalism and the influence it has wielded among so called evangelicals. Many of these people supported Ms. Thomas at one time and she in turn protected some of them at various times, standing in as their “token black friend”. So one must wonder… what sort of culture is being fostered in the Atheist/Secular community? Perhaps now is an opportunity for a reset. Maybe now is the time to enhance the diversity of these organizations, to implement a system of ethics and accountability, and to worry less about “putting asses in seats” and more about communities where safety and care are centered.

So, Skepticon 8

Seriously?!?

(First Disclaimer: Because I know trolls don’t respect boundaries, I’ll just make this clear – try to add trash to my comments section, no one will ever see your shit and you’ll be shown the door.)

(Second Disclaimer: It’s 4AM after my return from con, I’m sore in all of the places – thanks fibro – I’m exhausted -thanks fibro – and my patience for bullshit is damn near zero – thanks anxiety. I am not hosting a debate. That is your only warning)

Skepticon 8 Round Up!

Okay, so I went to Skepticon 8, and boy oh boy did I have a blast!  My workshop, Abortion Mythbustin’, was well attended, got some great audience participation and lots of good feedback afterwards.  The workshops and talk I managed to attend – again, thanks fibro, anxiety and good ol’ impostor syndrome – were mostly awesome.  I want to attend next year…

View original post 1,757 more words

Jamila Bey? CPAC Atheist? Huh?

The American Conservative Union’s Annual CPAC conference was last week. The Conference plays host to the most conservative right-wing portion of the Republican party. Many identify as tea partiers and are pro-gun, anti-immigration, anti-union, anti-big government (and by extension many federal and public programs), and they are huge fans of free market capitalism. And given some of the extremely racist sexist, nativist, and homophobic things that have come out of this movement, it is a wonder that a so-called humanist organization would choose to be among them, to recruit, or to increase the visibility of atheist conservatives. What may have been more perplexing though was the appearance that was made by social and political commentator, columnist, and podcaster, Jamila Bey in conservative Stepford Wife drag complete with a wig.

It was baffling to many of us. Those of us who have often thought of Jamila as a liberal progressive given many of her prior stances on issues. Her program SPAR with Jamila certainly gave the impression of someone with a liberal progressive consciousness. We’ve heard her speak on everything from reproductive rights, gay rights, to other issues affecting the underprivileged and disenfranchised. So to see her rubbing elbows with the CPACkers, many of whom are undermining the the rights of women, those that identify as LGBT, and people of color is disheartening. Just as it is disheartening to see Dr. Ben Carson, who grew up poor and who should know how important the expansion of healthcare is, to condemn “Obamacare” as “the worst thing that has happened to our country since slavery.” SINCE SLAVERY! In another demonstration of mind-boggling ignorance Carson blamed feminism for single motherhood which he thinks led to the death of Michael Brown, despite the fact that both of his biological parents were involved in his life.  Equally infuriating is Congresswoman Mia Love, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, who favors policies that might have kept her own parents from staying in the US and who spoke of wanting to destroy to Congressional Black Caucus from the inside. Demonizing and pathologizing black people and other minorities has been a strategy of the Republican party for a long time, and having people of color willing to engage in this sort of behavior helps the party to justify their rhetoric as simply “tough” or “patriotic”. But no matter how they deflect, these types of statements are racist and bigoted and are designed to appeal to their largely white male base.

So, it sucks to see someone who you have admired use “we”, “our”, and “us to describe vague points of supposed agreement she shares with right-wing extremists, especially when she is known for challenging people and being outspoken on many progressive issues. For instance, I think many of us were proud of her when she openly challenged the representative for the Coalition of African American Pastors when they came out publicly against same sex marriage. But seeing her throw immigrants under the bus as she did came out of left field. She chose to say that children from outside the US had a better chances of getting into elite schools than American children, instead of challenging the conservative republican ideal of decreasing taxes and the size of government that has reduced state funding of institutions of higher learning. Reductions that in turn drive up the cost of tuition, reduces student financial aid, and reduces enrollment. And it is a little ironic and sad to see Jamila plea for acceptance and to be embraced by a group of mostly white male affluent bigots, whilst representing a self-professed “humanist” organization that appropriates civil and social justice language. A “humanist” organization that has expressed little to no commitment to causes that don’t concern privileged white males. A humanist organization whose president talks about equality and freedom but only for a narrow group of mostly white anti-theists and only when it puts him and the organization in a position to antagonize the religious.

In her brief speech she echoed the familiar revisionist history that so many Republicans use to try to appeal to the black community: that their party fought for abolition. As party they share a name with the Republicans of old who labored to help free the slaves but I doubt very seriously that the Republicans of the 1860’s would support the current incarnation of their party. I don’t think that Republicans like Frederick Douglass, who supported universal suffrage and spoke against abuses of the carceral system (which really amounted to re-enslavement), would have looked favorably upon the GOP’s support of voter suppression laws or an unregulated economy where rich corporate interests are free to run amuck.

Recently Jamila wrote a piece about her experience, and I’m not sure if she is being deliberately obtuse or what. But it is difficult to believe someone as polished and politically savvy as she seems to be would really think it odd that people are interested in knowing about her political views, after she decided to appear before CPAC and out herself as a Republican. Now all of a sudden she is “purplish”? I don’t get it. But I agree with James Croft, that coming out as a Republican (at CPAC of all places), whatever her views on social justice or civil liberties may be, tells you more than a little bit about her priorities-whether she cares to admit it or not.

Recommended Reading
CPAC: Hackneyed and Hollow

Yes, Atheists Can Be Conservatives. But Why Would We Want To?

American Atheists’ Outreach at CPAC: Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Conservatives? I Am.

The Lobbying Game

Books You Can Read & 3 Documentaries You Can Watch Instead of Exposing Yourself to the Hegemonic Lies in the “Hidden Colors” Films

Read this twice.

Decolonize ALL The Things

Introduction

So I have been thinking about writing this post for a while & now I’m finally getting to it.  In light of a lot of people paying attention to the extrajudicial murders of Black men in the news (& all the Black women being murdered by both the police & Black men but I see the reactionary cishetpatriarchs are ignoring that) a lot of people are open to trying to find out more about their Blackness, our history, and understanding how we got to where we are today.  Unfortunately reactionary cishetpatriarchal Black men & Black women are taking advantage of these interests & are directing many to hegemony painted in Black.

So in light of these misinformation campaigns, I decided to list out key texts on understanding race, ethnicity,  & how white supremacist racism works as well as some ACTUAL documentaries that do a way better job at providing historically accurate…

View original post 1,668 more words

Celebrating Solidarity at Frederick Douglass’s House

Intersectional Humanism

February not only marks the celebration of Black History Month but the Annual National Day of Solidarity for Black Nonbelievers, an event founded by Donald Wright, author of The Only Prayer I’ll Ever Pray. The event was conceived as a day to encourage fellowship and solidarity for black non-believers, as well as to encourage community activism and social justice. It is fitting that during this time that we reflect on radical humanist and freethinkers of color who fought for the equality and justice. And so, to celebrate Chocolate City Skeptics decided to visit the estate of one of these figures who once called The District his home: Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass is one of the often celebrated black humanist/secular figures that you often see referenced in the atheist secular community.

We visited Douglass’s beautiful Cedar Hill home, in Anacostia, in the Southeastern part of the city. Douglass purchased this home…

View original post 1,291 more words

nivedita menon: feminism and the family – thoughts on international women’s day

THIS!!!!!

blkcowrie ❀

Excerpts from my forthcoming book Seeing Like a Feminist (Penguin India/Zubaan Books).

Have you heard of ‘nude make-up’?

This is what it is:

‘Nude makeup looks are all about your skin looking fresh and dewy, without looking like you’re even wearing any makeup. All you need is eyeliner, mascara, nude lipstick, and a highlighting blush that will give your skin a natural-looking glow.’[1]

The whole point of nude makeup clearly, is to spend hours painting your face in order to make it look like you never touched it at all.

The maintaining of social order is rather like that. It requires the faithful performance of prescribed rituals over and over again throughout one’s lifetime. Complex networks of cultural reproduction are dedicated to this sole purpose. But the ultimate goal of all this unceasing activity is to produce the effect of untouched naturalness.

When one ‘sees’ the world like a…

View original post 5,250 more words

These never-before-seen portraits of former enslaved blacks will move you

On Division and Solidarity

Discussions about solidarity and division in the secular community are nothing new. There are people in the larger movement that feel that only strict matters related to church and state separation or science advocacy, secular hallmarks, should be central. Feminists and those interested in addressing homophobia, transphobia, racism, xenophobia, are termed as “Social Justice Warriors”. A term that is meant to be derogatory and dismissive, as though those concerns are not “real”. When we offer critiques on the larger movement, we are seen as divisive.It is funny that within the secular movement that even organizations and leaders who claim to be humanist would regard our calls for inclusion, for compassion, and for even the very recognition of the value of lives who are not afforded the same type of regard extended to white cis-hetero bodies as divisive. What kind of humanism is that? None that I recognize.

Thankfully this hasn’t deterred brilliant leaders, bloggers, and activists like Sikivu Hutchinson, Greta Christina, Kimberly Veal, Heina Dadabhoy, Rebecca Watson, Surly Amy, and others from speaking out and confronting many of the contradictions of the professed humanism of the secular “elite”. I have taken the same position that many of them have taken regarding these “divisions”: they exist for a reason and they are necessary. Not all divisions are petty or small. And those divisions which concern deeply held principles, should not be disregarded for the sake of petty solidarity.

Petty solidarity is simply falling in line, never challenging the status quo, not speaking out when you or when you see others dehumanized. Petty solidarity demands SILENCE. Petty solidarity makes one complicit in VIOLENCE. Petty solidarity never seeks out root causes. Petty solidarity loves it’s empty slogans.

Some divisions exist for good reasons.

Not all “solidarity”, not all “allyship” is productive. Not all “solidarity” or “allyship” lives up to true humanistic ideals.

We can see examples of this throughout history in the struggle for abolition, civil rights, and gender equality. We can see where on the surface those fighting for their humanity and their so-called “allies” appeared to have similar goals but beneath the surface we see how phony and how the beliefs, actions, or inaction of so called allies undermined the overarching goal of achieving full recognition as a human being. Within the abolition movement, for example, there were white abolitionists who fought against the institution of slavery but ultimately did not believe that black people (or any people of color) were in fact equals and deserving of full human and civil rights. The video below illustrates this fact using the example of Tobias Lear:

This video, which is obviously intended to be humorous, is truthful in its depiction of the problem of the popular depictions of white abolitionists as universally heroic and humanistic in their motives. Even while abolitionists like John Brown, and his raid on Harper’s Ferry, are usually regarded with disdain. As Frederick Douglass himself noted, discussion of this incident and various insurrections (if they are ever mentioned) usually focuses on his violence towards the “peaceful” white populace, ignoring the violence that the participants were attempting to end.

Differences existed between Frederick Douglass and other prominent black leaders such as Henry Highland Garnet. Douglass regarded Garnet, who by the way was the first African American to speak before Congress, as “too radical”. Though, I wish he might have heeded, as we all should, some the wisdom of Henry Highland Garnet who once said, ” Eternal justice holds a heavy mortgage against us and will require the payment of the last farthing.” Perhaps, if he and others had heeded those words, the work of Reconstruction, The Civil Rights Movement, and other movements might not have been left unfinished and people of color, in particular, would not be as we find ourselves today.

Frederick Douglass was also a supporter of women’s sufferage even found himself contending with white supremacists within that movement just as Ida B. Wells and black suffragists did. He specifically spoke out against these elements and named Frances Willard, a women’s suffragist, who like many whites in that movement, defended mass lynchings and violence towards black men as necessary for the preservation of white womanhood.

Should Douglass or Ida B. Wells have remained silent? Should they have allowed women like Frances Willard to say those horribly racist things and simply continued raising the banner for women’s suffrage? Should Ida B. Wells have been content marching behind the white delegations just so that she could be in solidarity with the overall goal of women’s suffrage? Surely not.

Even within the activist movements of the Reconstruction Period and the 1960’s there were divisions among black men and women regarding “the place” of women in that movement. Some black men in those movements felt that black women’s clubs and black women leaders like Daisy Bates undermined their black masculinity, something they felt these movements would redeem. What was missed by them and remains missed by many is that the focus on this narratives erased the struggles of black women. Black women were not seen as having suffered as much due to racism because they were able to find works as domestics at times when black men were deliberately excluded from the work force. But black women didn’t exactly have it made, as salve nor as domestics. In addition to sexual harassment and sexual violence black women faced the were also vulnerable to wage discrimination and other unfair and now illegal practices. We still are to a  certain extent.These narratives have also excluded how racism and sexism made black women vulnerable to domestic and sexual violence within their own communities as well.

Similar divisions continue to plague the mainstream feminism movement, as women of color, poor women, and women in the developing world struggle to have their voices heard in a movement where the lives of white upper middle class women are centered. A movement where some of these white privileged women tell the rest of us to “lean in” while ignoring the systemic discrimination that keeps us out.

None of these issues are trivial. None of these divisions are meaningless.

And so too, when we look at the state of the secular community with it’s divisions, we should keep in mind that some divisions, some stands, are necessary. We cannot be expected to trade our humanity and dignity for separation of church and state, atheist memorials, and meaningless rallies where we gloat over how smart we all are for coming to non-belief. Some of us need and desire more. Some of us want to challenge dogmas beyond what deity may lurk in the cosmos. Some of us don’t want to dehumanize the faithful. Some of us don’t want to blame faith for “crippling” communities of color without acknowledging the more significant impact of white supremacy and institutional discrimination. We don’t want to be Charlie Hebdo, because while we value free speech and freedom of the press, we recognize that speech can also contribute to violence and that speech can also dehumanize. We recognize that satire can also contribute to the oppression of others. And, yes, we love science and reason but we know that they aren’t enough. We know that they are tools. They are tools that can build better futures or destroy lives, humanity of others, and even the planet itself. And because we know these things we are comfortable with division. Because sometimes divisions matter.

So what is solidarity?

It is putting aside your privilege to stand in defense of others like Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, who lost their lives along with James Chaney in their efforts to fight for the right of black people to be represented. Solidarity is not affirming that #AllLivesMatter when black and brown ones are ended by state violence or banished by disproportionate incarceration. It isn’t engaging in narratives that claim that the “moral arc” that Martin Luther King said “bends towards justice” is somehow pulled by “science and reason” (as is claimed by Michael Shermer*), without at the very least acknowledging that both have pulled that arc in the opposite direction as well. It means we do not simply defer to power or the privileged. And we don’t just give them credit because they utter nice things about diversity, or even because they allow a small number of minorities to have a voice in their movement. It isn’t being able to point at a single black friend (who probably has never been to your house). And as beautiful and as touching as some moments of altruism can be, that time you did a favor for a black person doesn’t count either. Solidarity is recognizing the humanity and the needs of your fellow human being EVEN WHEN IT IS NOT CONVENIENT FOR YOU TO DO SO, and responding. And it means that we challenge one another to be and to do better. That, is what solidarity is.

*Michael Shermer wrote a book, The Moral Arc, that makes the grand claim that reason and science are the forces that are driving humanity towards a better morality.

Abortion 101

FtBConscience

For such a contentious issue, exactly how abortions are performed is still shrouded in mystery to the general public. This has the unfortunate consequence of allowing misinformation to spread. This presentation aims to give a basic overview of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and medicine abortions and the myths surrounding each. CONTENT WARNING for depictions of fetal remains.

Presenter: Niki Massey

View original post