66. Fish Stark on How The AHA Is Building a Humanist Revival In America

"If science tells you what's real and compassion tells you what's right, you're a humanist" - Fish StarkFish Stark, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association (AHA), joins Humanism Now to unpack what a modern humanist revival could look like in the United States. From creator-led storytelling to legal strategy and mutual aid, Fish shares how the AHA is building power, community, and a clearer public-facing vision of humanism rooted in empathy, agency, and responsibility.Connect with Fish Stark Personal Website – fishstark.com AHA Speakers Bureau LinkedIn Topics we cover Why Fish believes the moment is right for a “humanist revival” in America Humanism as identity, not just ideas: agency, responsibility, and moral confidence What the AHA actually does: community-building, lobbying, legal action, and public narrative Why the real arena is online, and how the AHA is backing creators to meet people where they are Church-state separation under pressure, and how coercion shows up in schools and public life Humanist chaplaincy and “parallel place” legal recognition as a strategic advantage The American Empathy Project and why mutual aid is humanism in practice What comedy teaches about organising: pacing, attention, clarity, and joy Resources & further reading Humanist Manifesto I – American Humanist Association (1933) – https://americanhumanist.org/what-is-humanism/manifesto1/ Peace First – https://peacefirst.org/ Born This Way Foundation – https://bornthisway.foundation/ The Good Place – https://www.nbc.com/the-good-place Person-centered therapy (Carl Rogers) overview – NCBI Bookshelf / StatPearls (2023) – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK589708/ Send us Fan Mail Support the show Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices