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Annual Report Annual Report Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity. The mission of the American Humanist Association (AHA) is to advance humanism, an ethical and life-affirming philosophy free of belief in any gods and other supernatural forces. Advocating for equality for nontheists and a society guided by reason, empathy, and our growing knowledge of the world, the AHA promotes a worldview that encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good. Board of Directors AS OF JANUARY 1, 2020 Sunil Panikkath Jennifer Christine John Hooper Robert Boston Rebecca Hale Howard Katz President Kalmanson Shellska Treasurer Vice President Secretary Monica R. Miller Juhem Ellen Sutliff Mandisa Thomas Sharon Welch Michael Werner Roy Speckhardt Navarro-Rivera Executive Director President’s Message This is my first President’s Message But the last year was also a very the degradation of ethical standards and comes at the end of my first year difficult one for us humanists who in our public life continues or whether leading the AHA. While a nonbeliever take seriously our tagline about being our republic takes a turn away from this my entire adult life, I have identified good. Our republic saw the continued path. Needless to say, one’s individual as a humanist for at least twenty years and intensified degradation of ethical view on this will have no influence on and have been heavily involved with behavior in the public sphere. We the nation’s choice unless each of us supporting the AHA for more than ten watched a president impeached, makes an effort, however busy our lives years. I am therefore thrilled to have allegedly engaging in violations of are, to register and cast votes for those the gratifying privilege and awesome the most basic ethical standards. whom we want to represent us. But responsibility of leading this organization We observed politicians and other beyond that, we need to impress upon with a history of almost eight decades public figures across the country others in our lives the importance of the fighting for the rights of nontheists in appear to enthusiastically enable choices that will be made in 2020. This is our country. such personal unethical behavior especially applicable to younger people and gleefully participate in advancing who are increasingly nontheist but not 2019 was a year that the AHA continued unethical policies against refugees sufficiently part of our movement. Make to make progress in advancing its and other marginalized groups. no mistake, the damage that could be mission. We kept up our ongoing efforts My view is that the most important done to the institutions of our republic to uphold the legal and constitutional contribution any of us can make to as a result of the nation’s choices in 2020 rights of nontheists, with the important may be extensive and long lasting. our cause in such an environment milestone of our Legal Center arguing is to continually set an example of When you speak up on matters such a case before the Supreme Court for the ethical behavior, while openly iden­ as why our nation’s choices in 2020 are first time. Being a grassroots organi­ tifying as nontheist, whenever that important to you, don’t let anybody zation, our efforts to help humanist identification can be done without tell you that humanist values are not communities across the country are endangering our personal safety. This American values. To those who would critical, and we launched the Humanist is a contribution we can make wher­ show you that being godly is an excuse Environmental Response Effort (HERE) ever we live, whatever work we do, to condone unethical behavior and to for Climate to connect local individuals whatever our financial situation. indulge in it if one can get away with and community organizations with the it, show them that you would rather be resources they need to have an impact If we do not want what is past to be pro­ good than godly any day. on the pervasive crisis facing our planet. logue in 2020, each of us has another You will read about these and many other important role to play. This year each aspects of our impactful and ongoing of us has the opportunity to participate work throughout this annual report. with our nation in choosing whether Sunil Panikkath 2O19 ANNUAL REPORT 1 Humanism by the Numbers Public Awareness of Humanism Through extensive media outreach and public relations work, the American Humanist Association promotes its activities and offers a humanist 654,000 perspective on major current events with the goal of bringing humanism likes on Facebook into the mainstream. The AHA focused its publicity efforts in 2019 on climate change, the activities and members of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, the definition 66,000 of religious freedom, religious privilege in public schools, and more. Additionally, many outlets looked to humanists’ voices to comment on the Twitter followers increasing pattern of Christian nationalism in the Trump administration, including troubling comments made by Secretary Ben Carson, Secretary Mike Pompeo, and Attorney General William Barr. 47,000 Major Media Coverage in 2019 email subscribers ABC News Fox News The Atlantic AOL.com Los Angeles Times The Daily Beast Associated Press Medium The Hill 360 BBC National Public Radio The Huffington Post Humanist celebrants, Bloomberg NBC News The Wall Street Journal chaplains and lay leaders Breitbart New York Post The Washington Post Business Insider Newsweek Time Magazine CBS News Politico US News & World 250 Chron.com San Francisco Report (Houston Chronicle) Chronicle USA Today AHA chapters and affiliates CNBC Scribd Vox CNN SFGate Washington Examiner Esquire Slate 2 2O19 ANNUAL REPORT Media by the Numbers The AHA garnered over The AHA’s press outreach AHA received over efforts resulted in over 5,600 $82 3,700 media hits from local, radio and television hits national and international million news outlets in earned media value AHA’s Monica L. Miller (right) speaks to reporters, including NPR’s Nina Totenberg (left), after presenting oral arguments at the Supreme Court on February 27, 2019. 2O19 ANNUAL REPORT 3 Defending the First Amendment As one of the leading advocacy organizations for the secular movement, the Appignani Humanist Legal Center (AHLC) has firmly established a reputation of success, effectiveness, and swift response to church­state violations on behalf of the humanist community. 2019 Litigation Cross Display in Pensacola, FL In 2018, AHA won a case which affirmed the district court’s SUPREME COURT: Christian Cross ruling that a Florida city’s 34­foot­tall Christian cross used on Public Land in Bladensburg, MD solely for Easter services violates the Establishment Clause. Monica Miller, Legal Director and Senior Counsel, briefed The high court instructed the lower court to reevaluate the and then argued AHA’s first Supreme Court case in February ruling, so AHA filed a brief. A decision is expected in 2020. 2019. The case centered on the constitutionality of a 40­foot­tall Latin cross towering over a busy intersection in Legislative Prayer in Carroll County, MD Bladensburg, MD. In front of a majority conservative court, The AHA celebrated a major victory in August of 2019 our focus was on a “narrow loss” as we fought to prevent the when it won a longstanding case challenging the Carroll high court from overturning decades of precedent. Although County Board of Commissioners’ practice of delivering the Supreme Court upheld the cross (with Justices Ginsburg prayer at public meetings. The court issued an order that and Sotomayor strongly dissenting), the ruling was highly permanently prevents the commissioners from delivering fragmented and has limited applicability for future cases. prayers at the opening of commission meetings. Humanist Inmate Seeking Equal Recognition in Nevada The case sought recognition of humanism as a state­ approved “faith group” in order for humanists to hold weekly meetings in Nevada prisons. The AHA achieved this result while the appeal was pending, with Nevada ultimately adding humanism to its list of approved “faith groups” and authorizing humanist meetings. Ten Commandments Display in Little Rock, AK The AHA, along with other secular groups, filed a lawsuit on behalf of its members in Little Rock, AR in May 2018 challenging the constitutionality of Arkansas’ Ten Commandments monument on state capitol grounds. Throughout 2019, AHA attorneys were actively engaged in discovery and pretrial motions. 4 2O19 ANNUAL REPORT Public School Prayer in South Carolina J Victory in a long­fought battle for rights of incarcerated AHLC attorneys celebrated another major court victory in humanists: AHA attorneys wrote an email to prison officials demanding that humanist inmates be allowed July 2019 when they won a case against a South Carolina to assemble after a court victory in AHA’s favor more school district. The case, filed in 2013, challenges the school than a year prior. In October 2019 humanist meetings district’s promotion of graduation prayers and use of a began at North Carolina facility. Christian venue for elementary graduation ceremonies. The U.S. District Court originally ruled against the AHA, but it successfully appealed to the Fourth Circuit in 2016 and Amicus brief (friend-of-the-court) activity won on both issues back on remand. The AHA’s legal team submitted or co­signed five Police Prayer Vigil in Ocala, FL amicus briefs in 2019: In May 2018, AHA won its case in the U.S. District Court of CFI v. Warren Florida against the City of Ocala and its police department The AHA authored a brief supporting CFI and the legal for sponsoring a prayer vigil.
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