Platform Video: My Personal Memories of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement

The following ECS/Bergen Platform address was delivered on Sunday, January 17, 2010, by Theodora Smiley Lacey (introduced by Barbara Landberg):

My Personal Memories of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement (1/17/2010) from Ethical Culture Society Bergen on Vimeo.

Speaker: Theodora Smiley Lacey

Theodora Lacey, a native of Montgomery, AL, is deeply committed to the struggle for equality for all mankind. She became a true champion for civil and human rights working closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the famed Montgomery Bus Boycott. A recently retired science teacher and an active participant in community affairs she played a major role in the successful integration of the Teaneck Public Schools.

She is the recipient of numerous awards including Teacher of the Year in Teaneck, Most Outstanding Secondary School Teacher Award from Princeton University, Woman of the Year from the New Jersey Senate , honored by the Bergen Record newspaper as One of the Most Intriguing People in New Jersey and listed in Whos Who in Among America’s Teachers. Serving on several boards, civic organizations and as a lecturer, she has traveled extensively throughout Africa, Europe and Asia. Mother of four, grandmother of ten, great grand- mother of four.

Platform Video: Liberalism, Individualism and Values

The following ECS/Bergen Platform address was delivered on Sunday, January 3, 2010, by Dr. Joseph Chuman (introduced by Ed Gross):

Liberalism, Individualism and Values from Ethical Culture Society Bergen on Vimeo.

Harvard professor Michael Sandel, author of Public Philosophy, “is worried that those espousing a liberal political philosophy, including leaders in the Democratic Party, weaken themselves by refusing to engage in discussion about religious and moral values, especially those that support their political positions,” notes Dr. Chuman. “While I understand the problem that Sandel and others point to, I conclude that the cure is potentially worse than the disease.”

Ethical giving: local and global

Vibrant communities thrive on companionship, but religious communities like Ethical Culture add compassion and other virtues. To sustain ourselves we give of our time, effort and pocketbook. It is how we both keep the roof over our heads and support others during times of loss and transition.

Charity begins at home, but that is not enough for some. Many seek ways to donate to causes outside of their immediate community. Witness organizations like Catholic Charities, Habitat for Humanity and countless others that extend the reach of local donors to become global.

Humanists who want to extend their giving outside of their local community can do no better than to consider the nascent Foundation Beyond Belief, a non-profit charitable and educational foundation created (1) to focus, encourage and demonstrate the generosity and compassion of atheists and humanists, and (2) to provide a comprehensive education and support program for nontheistic parents. Each quarter, FBB selects ten charities that will benefit from humanist giving.

Their first charity in the area of human rights is the Bergen County Sanctuary Committee, which began in part as a brainchild of our own Dr. Joseph Chuman, leader of the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County. (Click here for video.) BCSC is a particularly good example of a local charity with global reach in that it provides succor to former citizens of other countries whose search for asylum has brought them to our local area.

So if you've taken care of your local charitable needs and are seeking to make a difference across the globe, consider the Foundation Beyond Belief.