#SSJCon: What’s Race Got to Do With It?

Stephanie Zvan

This is part of my coverage of the Secular Social Justice Conference this past January in Houston. I raised money to get me to the conference to report out because conferences like these cover topics that are rarely talked about in the movement. I also raised money to get Josiah Mannion to the conference to take photos. You can see his full conference photoset. If you appreciate the work we do, we’re also raising money cover a portion of our costs to do the same for the Women in Secularism conference in September. You’ll find a donation button at the end of this post.

For the last session of the first day, we all came back together in the main auditorium for a very large panel discussion on race and intersectionality.

What’s Race Got to Do With It? Racial Politics and Intersectionality in the Atheist Movement:
Frank Anderson, Black Skeptics Chicago
Georgina Capetillo, Secular Common Ground
Alix Jules, Dallas Coalition of Reason
Sincere Kirabo, American Atheists
Jimmie Luthuli, Secular Sistahs
Juhem Navarro-Rivera
Vic Wang, Humanists of Houston
Moderator: Daniel Myatt, BSLA

This is the panel I think should be required viewing for anyone in the movement who talks about “echo chambers” and “political correctness” in the movement. I have never seen a panel this wide-ranging or willing to explore possibilities at another secular movement conference. When was the last time you sat through an argument on the pros and cons of revolution? You can watch the session for yourself at the end of this post. If you do, however, you’re going to forever know “SJWs can’t abide disagreement with their ideas” for the lie it is.

Photo of panel with Georgina Capetillo in focus in the foreground.

Photo of panel with Juhem Navarro-Rivera and Jimmie Lithuli in focus in center.

Photo of several people in the audience at the panel.

Darrin Johnson tweeting from the audience.
Darrin Johnson tweeting from the audience.

Photo of Alix Jules laughing on the panel.

Photo of Juhem Navarro-Rivera speaking on the panel.

Black and white photo of Frank Anderson listening during panel.

Large crowd photo of audience during the panel.

Gordon Maples live-tweeting from the audience.
Gordon Maples live-tweeting from the audience.

Photo of Vic Wang speaking during the panel.

Our videographer, capturing the Q&A.
Our videographer, capturing the Q&A.

Seriously. That’s where we left the panel. Do we tear it all down and rebuild–something? So if you’re interested in hearing real, substantial disagreement among advocates for social justice, watch the panel.

Want to support this kind of reporting out from Women in Secularism? We could still use a little help to get there:




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#SSJCon: What’s Race Got to Do With It?

About the author

Stephanie Zvan is one of the hosts for the Minnesota Atheists' radio show and podcast, Atheists Talk. She serves on the board of Secular Woman. She speaks on science and skepticism in a number of venues, including science fiction and fantasy conventions. Stephanie has been called a science blogger and a sex blogger, but if it means she has to choose just one thing to be or blog about, she's decided she's never going to grow up. In addition to science and sex and the science of sex, you'll find quite a bit of politics here, some economics, a regular short fiction feature, and the occasional bit of concentrated weird. Oh, and arguments. She sometimes indulges in those as well. But I'm sure everything will be just fine. Nothing to worry about. Nothing at all.
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