For Immediate Release
Contact: Amy Couch, 202-238-9088, acouch@americanhumanist.org
Sincere Kirabo, 202-238-9088, skirabo@americanhumanist.org
(Washington, D.C., September 14, 2017)—The American Humanist Association (AHA) affirms humanism’s commitment to social justice advocacy by partnering with the March for Racial Justice and the March for Black Women, two events that will co-occur in solidarity with one another on September 30, 2017 in Washington DC.
We support the vision of these marches because there can be no compromise between racial justice and white supremacist ideologies embedded into the social structures of the United States. We also recognize that Black women are simultaneously subjected to the legacies of racism and sexism and that this must be addressed specifically.
On September 30, Black women and allies will march at the center of the scheduled March for Racial Justice in order to “to denounce the propagation of state-violence and the widespread incarceration of Black women and girls, rape and all sexualized violence, the murders and brutalization of transwomen and the disappearances of our girls from our streets, our schools, and our homes.”
As humanists, we believe positive change comes through action, a sentiment echoed in the March for Racial Justice’s statement, “It is our duty to dismantle oppression, as well as, challenge and put an end to racist laws, policies, and practices that dehumanize people of color while sustaining white supremacy.”
Since its founding in 1941, AHA’s leaders and members have advocated for full empowerment and equity for marginalized communities in our society. We are determined to build and promote a society where the most vulnerable among us are recognized and heard in hopes of alleviating—and ultimately, overcoming—their vulnerability.
“Humanists have long supported civil rights based on our understanding that all humanity shares basic dignity and worth,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. “We believe that we each have only one life to live. It is an acute tragedy when that one life is diminished in any way because of prejudice.”
The American Humanist Association calls on all humanists to join us September 30 at the March for Black Women and the March for Racial Justice. “Humanist values demand an end to white supremacy, to racial injustice, and to all forms of social oppression,” said Sincere Kirabo, social justice coordinator of the American Humanist Association.
March with us on September 30 to bear witness and act in solidarity. And on every day, we urge humanists everywhere to actively challenge white supremacy and racial injustice. There can be no progress without confrontation.
###
Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, DC, the American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming philosophy of humanism, which without beliefs in any gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
Special thanks to the Louis J. Appignani Foundation for their support of the Appignani Humanist Legal Center.