All posts by Monette Richards

Morning Jump Start

Conference,

Mandisa Thomaswith Mandisa Thomas

Saturday 9:00 AM

Main Hall

This is a working conference, but working on a conference morning can feel like, well, work. Come get revved up and ready for your day as the coffee kicks in.

Mandisa Thomas is the president and founder of Black Nonbelievers, Inc. She also has a new project called New Turn. From their website: “The focus is to provide help for ex-convicts, at-risk juveniles and individuals who are at a general education and economic disadvantage by developing critical thinking and practical instruction and skills, as well as maximize entrepreneurial capability.” You can find out more about New Turn here.

 

The Future of the Secular Movement

Conference, ,

Debbie Goddard with Debbie Goddard.

Friday 7:15 PM – Main Hall

The secular movement has been through a tough few years. It’s made important progress, and it’s paid some heavy prices for that progress. There’s still work to be done, though. Debbie Goddard’s take on these challenges and what we can do to meet them is both thoughtful and inspiring.

Debbie Goddard is the director of outreach at the Center for Inquiry and the director of African Americans for Humanism. Before working for CFI, she participated in local freethought groups in the greater Philadelphia region and helped organize and support campus groups internationally as a volunteer. She has also been involved with LGBTQ issues and progressive activism.

Speaker Feature: Lauren Lane

Conference

Come August, the conference will feature a full slate of women and genderqueer activists. This week, we’re going to feature three such activists: Mandisa Thomas, Lauren Lane, and Desiree Schell. All three are spectacular and amazing, so we hope you enjoy them!

Lauren Lane is founder and on-going organizer of Skepticon, the Midwest’s largest Skeptic Conference.  Here’s a little bit about how Lauren got started and what she’s looking forward to at Secular Women Work.