(Washington, DC, May 18, 2016)—To strengthen the humanist presence in social justice movements, today the American Humanist Association launched the Black Humanist Alliance, an adjunct organization that will promote racial justice and solidarity between the Black and humanist communities. In conjunction with the launch, the American Humanist Association is also relaunching its women’s rights adjunct, the Feminist Humanist Alliance, and its LGBTQ adjunct, the LGBTQ Humanist Alliance.
“The humanist community will always be committed to defending the separation of church and state and the civil liberties of nontheists,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. “But to truly live out our humanist values of equality and justice, we must also stand in solidarity with people of color, women and LGBTQ individuals, whose rights, dignity and full humanity are sadly still disregarded in our society.”
The goal of the American Humanist Association’s adjuncts is to organize humanist volunteers who will actively engage with issues of racial justice, gender equality and LGBTQ rights in their communities and across the country. Already, these adjunct organizations have mobilized dozens of volunteer leaders, who all demonstrate that nontheists are activists within social justice movements. The American Humanist Association’s social justice leaders will also work within the secular movement to raise awareness about the need for outreach, inclusivity and awareness about social justice issues.
“The secular movement is often misrepresented as an ‘old boys club’ of straight, white, well-to-do men,” said Sincere Kirabo, American Humanist Association social justice coordinator. “Through the Black Humanist Alliance and our other adjuncts, people will come to realize that there are many humanists and atheists who are also women, trans, queer, gender-nonconforming, and people of color. The secular movement is diverse, and we must ensure that everyone within our movement is given a voice.”
Currently, the American Humanist Association’s social justice adjuncts are partnering with other organizations to combat inequality. Volunteers in the Black Humanist Alliance, Feminist Humanist Alliance and LGBTQ Humanist Alliance are partnering with the Lionheart Foundation, Black Lives Matter, the National Organization for Women and Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), among other programs. Efforts are ongoing to continue reaching out to new volunteers as well as to other organizations dedicated to advancing full equality and recognition for all people.