Book talk on Sikivu Hutchinson’s Humanist in the Hood: Unapologetically Black, Feminist and Heretical, centering Black secular humanism

On Sunday, May 31, Sikivu Hutchinson will give a book talk with guitar music on Humanists in the Hood: Unapologetically Black, Feminist and Heretical . The talk will address explorations of atheism and secular humanism amongst Black folks in the midst of white supremacist Christian nationalist backlash against Black civil and human rights and self-determination.

Over the past decade, greater numbers of African Americans have embraced secular and/or non-religious views and perspectives. In her talk, Hutchinson will examine some of the following questions: What is Black Feminist Humanism? Why and how is it relevant to Black women and Black people seeking alternatives to the dogmas, hierarchies, constraints and judgment of organized religion in an era of unrelenting white Christian nationalist attacks? What are the social and historical origins of Black secular humanism in the U.S.? Why are more young African Americans across gender and sexuality critiquing and rejecting organized religion, making Gen Z youth and young adults (especially queer young adults) the most secularized demographic in modern American history? How is Black secular humanism relevant to contemporary social, racial and gender justice movements? How is it relevant to K-12 education and gender-based violence prevention education?

Sikivu will explore these questions and more at a book talk and musical performance with friends at Lore Leimert Bookstore on Sunday, May 31st.

SIKIVU HUTCHINSON is based in South L.A. Her plays include White Nights, Black Paradise (based on her 2015 novel), Grinning Skull, Narcolepsy, Inc. and Rock ‘n’ Roll Heretic, which is adapted from her 2021 novel Rock ‘n’ Roll Heretic: The Life and Times of Rory Tharpe. Her books include Humanists in the Hood: Unapologetically Black, Feminist and Heretical; Imagining Transit, Race, Gender and Transportation Politics in Los Angeles; and Moral Combat: Black Atheists, Gender Politics, and the Values Wars. She is the founder of Black Skeptics Los Angeles, and the Women’s Leadership Project, a Black feminist mentoring program for Black girls, girls of color and queer youth in South L.A. She is also a guitarist-singer-songwriter. Her folk/rock/cowpunk work can be found on Spotify. IG @sikivu and www.sikivuhutchinson.com