EXPERTS & AFICIONADOS
INSPIRATION FROM AROUND THE CORNER AND ACROSS THE GLOBE
Samantha White
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JANUARY 4, 2026 | THE POWER OF US: SUPPORTING HUMANIST EDUCATION IN UGANDA | SAMANTHA WHITE
The Ethical Society of St. Louis has partnered with the Uganda Humanist Schools Trust. (UHST) for over a decade. Samantha will provide an overview of their history of support, as well as updates on the progress and challenges at the schools during the past year. Samantha White (she/her) has been a member of the Ethical Society of St. Louis (ESSL) for 10+ years, is a current member of the ESSL Board of Trustees, and a volunteer with the Society's fundraising efforts for the humanist schools in Uganda. Samantha is a humanist and a passionate believer in the transformational power of education, science, and reason to improve peoples' lives. She is immensely grateful for her own education, including a Bachelor's of Arts in Anthropology/Sociology and History from Centre College which was achieved with significant financial support from her parents, governmental assistance, and personal loans. |
HOW TO DONATE: The cost for a full year-long scholarship at Isaac Newton Secondary School is $650 per student, which covers tuition, room, board, exams, Afripads, and school supplies. Ways to donate: Bring cash on January 4th; write checks to the Ethical Society of St. Louis, noting “UHST” in the memo line and give to Samantha on January 4th or mail to ESSL (9001 Clayton Rd, St. Louis, MO 63117); or donate online with credit card, Venmo, Apple Pay, or Google Pay by using this LINK. Thank you in advance for your generosity and interest in this life-changing effort!rting Humanist Education in Uganda
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DECEMBER 21, 2025 | 10:30 AM | HUMAN LIGHT: A CELEBRATION OF REASON, COMPASSION, AND HOPE
Human Light is a secular holiday that occurs annually on December 23rd. It's a day to celebrate and express the positive, secular, human values of reason, compassion, and hope. HumanLight illuminates a positive, secular vision of a happy, just and peaceful future for our world, a future which people can build by working together, drawing on the best of our human capacities. |
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DECEMBER 7, 2025 | RESPECT MO VOTERS: LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE! | OLIVIA SIGMUND
Olivia Sigmund will present on the origins of Respect MO Voters and the campaign’s three main goals:
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Olivia Sigmund serves the Respect MO Voters campaign as Saint Louis Regional Field Director, including St. Louis City, St. Louis, St. Charles, and Jefferson counties. She coordinates volunteer events and trainings, working with everyone from signature gatherers and notaries to phone bankers and drivers. Olivia, like many RMV volunteers, joined the campaign to create change on a local level when so much of the political landscape in the United States feels overwhelming and untouchable. This campaign provides an accessible and effective way to get involved and put power back where it belongs: in the hands of the people.
Laura Flanders
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NOVEMBER 30, 2025 | THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX: WHAT IF THESE AREN’T THE WORST OF TIMES? | AEU ALL-SOCIETIES PLATFORM
Laura Flanders is the host and executive producer of Laura Flanders & Friends, a nationally syndicated TV and radio program which reports on progressive change-making in the worlds of arts, politics and economics. In New York, Laura Flanders & Friends is seen weeknights on CUNYtv and WLIW, and heard on WBAI and WNYE. Nationally, you can find the show on close to 300 PBS stations and on YouTube as well as wherever you get your podcasts. Laura is also the author of several bestselling books and a contributing writer to The Nation Magazine. Follow @lauraflanders on social media or subscribe at lauraflanders.org. |
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NOVEMBER 23, 2025 | TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE | NOKIE RAE
We used this time to honor each individual transgender person murdered in the US in the last 365 days. Many more murders took place in other countries or went unreported. Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence since Rita Hester’s death, and began an important tradition that has become the annual TDOR. Nokie Rae, the Executive Director of the Metro Trans Umbrella Group (MTUG) joined us to talk about the history of MTUG, why it’s needed in the metro area, the work they do, and why TDOR is so important. |