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 StarkPersonal Website – fishstark.comAHA Speakers BureauLinkedInTopics we coverWhy Fish believes the moment is right for a “humanist revival” in AmericaHumanism as identity, not just ideas: agency, responsibility, and moral confidenceWhat the AHA actually does: community-building, lobbying, legal action, and public narrativeWhy the real arena is online, and how the AHA is backing creators to meet people where they areChurch-state separation under pressure, and how coercion shows up in schools and public lifeHumanist chaplaincy and “parallel place” legal recognition as a strategic advantageThe American Empathy Project and why mutual aid is humanism in practiceWhat comedy teaches about organising: pacing, attention, clarity, and joyResources & further readingHumanist 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-placePerson-centered therapy (Carl Rogers) overview – NCBI Bookshelf / StatPearls (2023) – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK589708/Send us Fan MailSupport the showSupport Humanism Now & Join Our Community!Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSkyHumanism 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 [email protected]: Blossom by Light PrismPodcast 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.