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The 2025 Freedom From Religion 48th Annual National Convention took place on October 16-19 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Watch this page for updates on convention awardees, videos, and speeches.
HERB SILVERMAN – “Being an Atheist in South Carolina”
Herb Silverman, who will give a welcoming address, is president emeritus of the Secular Coalition for America. He served as president of the Secular Coalition through December of 2012 and again from December 2014 to June 2017. Born in Philadelphia, Herb received his Ph.D. in mathematics from Syracuse University and is Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at the College of Charleston.After an eight-year battle, Herb won a unanimous decision in the South Carolina Supreme Court, which struck down South Carolina’s religious test requirement. He founded the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry in Charleston, S.C., and is founder and first faculty advisor to the College of Charleston student Atheist/Humanist Alliance. He has written “Candidate Without a Prayer, An Autobiography of a Jewish Atheist in the Bible Belt” as well as “An Atheist Stranger in a Strange Religious Land.” Herb is a recipient of the American Humanist Association Lifetime Achievement Award and SCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
This humorous speech was given by Herb Silverman on Oct. 17 at FFRF’s 48th annual convention in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He was introduced by FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor.
Annie Laurie Gaylor: Herb Silverman, who’s an Afterlife Member of the Freedom From Religion Foundation and lives in South Carolina, is a distinguished professor of mathematics at the College of Charleston. He founded the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry in Charleston, and he’s president emeritus of the Secular Coalition for America, which he founded.
Herb is going to tell you how he won a unanimous 1997 decision by the state Supreme Court of South Carolina, striking down the state’s religious test requirement to run for office. And, he’s written a book about it, “Candidate Without a Prayer,” as well as “An Atheist Stranger in a Strange Religious Land.”
I’m going to surprise you, Herb, very belatedly, by naming you our Freethinker of the Year, which is reserved for individuals winning state/church lawsuits. We don’t know how we missed giving this to you back in 1997. It’s high time to correct this oversight. So, please, be our Freethinker of the Year.
Read Herb’s speech in Freethought Today.
FFRF HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR
Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Co-Presidents
CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT
Matthew Krevat, president of the Triangle Freethought Society in North Carolina, highlights how FFRF’s local chapters bring secular activism and community to life across the country. From advocacy meetings with lawmakers to public events and secular celebrations, he showcases the power of grassroots freethought organizing.
GODLESS GOSPEL SINGERS
Candace Gorham, LCMHCS, is a licensed professional mental health counselor. A former ordained minister turned atheist-humanist activist, she is a member of The Secular Therapist Project and The Clergy Project. Candace is the author of “The Ebony Exodus Project: Why Some Black Women Are Walking Out on Religion — and Others Should Too” and “On Death, Dying, and Disbelief.”
Cynthia McDonald is a social worker in Chicago who authors a blog called freedmenhealthandwellness.com, which speaks on the social determinants and health of Black Americans who descended from chattel slavery. She is a regular host on the “Non-Prophets” and “Women Atheist Unload.”
Mandisa Thomas is the founder and president of Black Nonbelievers ands has appeared on “CBS Sunday Morning,” CNN.com and in Playboy, The Humanist and JET magazines. She’s featured in the documentaries “Contradiction” and “My Week in Atheism.” She was FFRF’s 2019 Freethought Heroine.
NANCY NORTHUP – “Defending Today. Building for Tomorrow”
Nancy Northup is president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, a global human rights organization whose game-changing litigation and advocacy work have transformed how reproductive rights are understood by courts, governments and human rights bodies. The Center has played a key role in securing legal victories in the U.S., Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe and at the U.N. on issues including access to life-saving obstetrics care, maternal health, contraception and safe abortion services, as well as the prevention of forced sterilization and child marriage. With offices in Colombia, Kenya, Switzerland and the U.S., the Center has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in over 60 countries. Nancy graduated magna cum laude from Brown University and received her J.D. from Columbia Law School. She is also the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Brown University recognizing her achievements as an attorney and global reproductive rights leader. She has held adjunct appointments at NYU Law School and Columbia Law School, and taught courses in constitutional and human rights law. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Nancy was previously the founding director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, where she litigated voting rights, campaign finance reform, and ballot access cases. From 1989 to 1996, she served as a prosecutor and Deputy Chief of Appeals in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Prior to that she was a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans.
KATHERINE STEWART – “Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy”
Katherine Stewart, who received FFRF’s 2024 “Freethought Heroine” Award, has been covering religious nationalism and the assault on American democracy for more than 15 years. Her most recent book “Money, Lies and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy” (February 2025) joins her earlier powerful investigations: “The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism” and “The Good News Club: The Christian Right’s Stealth Assault on America’s Children.” She writes for The New York Times opinion, New Republic and many other periodicals. “The Power Worshippers” was acquired by producers Rob and Michele Reiner, who subsequently based their documentary feature film, “God & Country” (2004) on the book.
This is the speech given by Katherine Stewart at FFRF’s 48th annual convention in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Oct. 17, 2025. She was introduced by FFRF Senior Litigation Counsel Sam Grover. To watch the speech, go to ffrf.us/con25.
Sam Grover: Our next speaker is well known to FFRF audiences. She’s a journalist and author whose writings appear in a variety of major publications. Katherine Stewart has spoken to us about her first book, written in 2012, “The Good News Club: The Christian Right’s Stealth Assault on America’s Children.” She’s also spoken to us about her award-winning 2020 book, “The Power Worshipers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism.”
That book formed the basis for the documentary “God and Country,” produced in 2024 by Michelle and Rob Reiner. At our convention last year, Katherine received FFRF’s Freethought Heroine Award
Her latest book, “Money, Lies, and God” is a deep and critical look into Christian nationalism, which not only explains the who’s who of Christian nationalism, but how we got to this point where an organized political movement is working to destroy American democracy.
Let’s give a hand for Katherine Stewart.
Read Katherine’s speech in Freethought Today.
FFRF LEGAL HIGHLIGHTS
Patrick Elliott, FFRF Legal Director
Liz Cavell, Deputy Legal Director
Sam Grover, Senior Litigation Counsel
Sammi Lawrence, Staff Attorney
FFRF LEGISLATIVE HIGHLIGHTS
Ryan Dudley, State Policy Manager
Mark Dann, FFRF Governmental Affairs Director
MICKEY DOLLENS – “The Citizen’s Guide to Political Change”
Mickey Dollens is the regional government affairs manager at the Freedom From Religion Foundation, where he fights to uphold state/church separation and protect religious freedom for all. Based in Oklahoma City, Mickey continues to push back against religious extremism in government, efforts to weaken direct democracy, and policies that deepen economic inequality. At FFRF, he works to ensure that lawmakers prioritize reason over religion and that public policy is shaped by constitutional principles—not religious doctrine. He is the author of “The Citizen’s Guide to Political Change: How to Win with Ballot Initiatives and Defend Direct Democracy.”
ROY ZIMMERMAN
Singer/songwriter Roy Zimmerman’s motto is “Sing. Laugh. Defend Democracy.” Roy’s songs have been heard on HBO and Showtime, and his videos have garnered hundreds of millions of views. He’s just released a new album — his 11th as a solo artist. The tributes have included this comment from Tom Lehrer: “I congratulate Roy on reintroducing literacy to comedy songs.”
MARY L. TRUMP
Mary L. Trump received FFRF’s “Emperor Has No Clothes Award,” reserved for individuals who “tell it like it is” about religion. She’s a trained clinical psychologist and has authored two books, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man” and a new memoir, “Nobody Will Ever Love You.” She holds a PhD from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies and taught graduate courses in trauma, psychopathology, and developmental psychology. She lives with her daughter in New York.
BAILEY HARRIS – “A Nightmare on Creationist Street”
Bailey Harris, 19, a second-year college student, received the “Out of God’s Closet” Diane and Stephen Uhl Memorial Student Activist Scholarship of $5,000. Bailey is the author of the Stardust series of science books for young readers, which she began at age 8. The series includes beautifully illustrated children’s books that present sound science in a manner accessible to young readers and pre-readers. “My Name Is Stardust” was released in 2017 and has sold thousands of copies worldwide. Follow-ups “Stardust Explores the Solar System” (2018) and “Stardust Explores Earth’s Wonders” (2019) present concepts of astronomy, geology, biology, and principles such as the Big Bang and evolution. Just released is “Stardust & Friends: Darwin’s Journey.” Bailey has appeared on iHeartRadio’s “The Public Library Podcast,” where she spoke to host Helen Little about the importance of books and learning in her life. She won a previous 2018 FFRF convention award.
ELI FROST – “Advocating For Change in Chaska, Minnesota”
Eli Frost, 18, received the Beverly and Richard Hermsen Student Activist Award of $5,000. Eli is a passionate graduating senior at Chaska High School who is in the National Honor Society and Key Club. He will be attending Minnesota State University in Mankato in the fall, where he’s planning to major in political science and potentially attend law school to become a politician. His ultimate aim is to use his political influence to bring positive change, particularly by standing up to Christian nationalist politicians and promoting respect and kindness for all people—not for religious rewards, but because it’s simply the right thing to do. For several years, he’s worked tirelessly to move his school district’s graduation ceremonies away from a discriminatory megachurch. Through petitions, school board meetings, and engaging with local media and advocacy organizations like FFRF, Eli successfully pushed the district to change the graduation venue to a more inclusive, secular location.
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY WINNERS
Jaianah Hightower, 20, placed fifth in FFRF’s 2025 David Hudak Memorial Assay Contest for Black, Indigenous Student of Color and read her winning essay, “Just Existing is Resistance.” By 15, “I knew I would become and OB/GYN.” She’s a junior pursuing a bachelor of science degree at Morgan State University.
Gabrielle Williams, 19, placed third in FFRF’s 2025 David Hudak Memorial Essay Contest for Black, Indigenous Student of Color, received a $2,500 cash scholarship for her essay titles “Unholy Alliance: When Nationalism Wears a Cross.” She was her high school valedictorian in Stewartstown, Pa. She’s a sophomore at Howard University.
Mekah’E La Clair, 20, won first place in FFRF’s 2025 David Hudak Memorial Essay Contest for Black, Indigenous Student of Color, earned a $3,500 scholarship. A member of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, she’s an artist who creates cartoons and is in her junior year of college, majoring in digital art and animation at the DigiPen Institute of Technology.
MUBARAK BALA – “The Right to Freethought and Criticizing Ideas”
Mubarak Bala is a human rights activist and president of the Humanists of Nigeria, who was arrested in 2020 for posting comments on Facebook deemed insulting to Muhammad. Mubarak Bala spent a year in detention before being sentenced to 40 years in prison. An appeals court later reduced his sentence to five years. He was released in 2024, but is still under sanction in Nigeria. Mubarak Bala’s case drew international attention by many groups, including FFRF, calling for his release and for the repeal of blasphemy laws. Mubarak Bala received FFRF’s Avijit Roy Courage Award, accepted remotely.
CHRISSY STROOP – “Emptying Pews, Evangelicals, and the Fight for American Democracy”
Chrissy Stroop received FFRF’s 2025 “Freethought Heroine” award. Raised evangelical in the Indianapolis area and Colorado Springs, Chrissy Stroop was sent to culture-warring Christian schools that demonized queerness, abortion and anything viewed as “liberal.” She earned a Ph.D in modern Russian history from Stanford University, which she put to use as both a classroom instructor and a senior research associate with the University of Innsbruck’s Postsecular Conflicts project that investigated international right-wing networks. A former weekly columnist for openDemocracy and a frequent contributor to Religion Dispatches, Stroop is now a full-time writer and speaker with bylines in Foreign Policy, Playboy, The Boston Globe, Political Research Associates, and other outlets. Her newsletter, The Bugbear Dispatch, explores American politics and society through the lens of an ongoing moral panic of which Stroop, as an out transgender woman, is a primary target. She is also a cofounder and co-owner of the intersectional feminist outlet The Flytrap and (with Lauren O’Neal) coeditor of the essay collection “Empty the Pews: Stories of Leaving the Church.”
THIRD ANNUAL SECULAR LEGISLATIVE PANEL
Rep. Heather Meyer represents District 29, Overland Park, in the Kansas House of Representatives. She was appointed in 2021 and re-elected in 2024 to a two-year term. She is also a social worker, mom of two, Kansas first openly bisexual legislator, and an agnostic.
Rep. Andy Smith was elected in 2022 and is serving his second term in District 25B in the Minnesota House of Representatives. A small-business owner, he is co-chair of the Minnesota Health Plan Caucus. He has a B.A. in theology from Moody Bible Institute and a M.Div. in theology from Westminster Seminary.
Rep. Monique Priestley is serving her second term as a Vermont state Representative (Orange-2), focusing on consumer protection. She has received recognition for he impactful legislative leadership, including EPIC’s National Champion of Freedom Award in 2024. She identifies as an atheist and humanist.
JAMELLE BOUIE – Clarence Darrow Award
Jamelle Bouie, who received FFRF’s Clarence Darrow Award, is a columnist for the New York Times where he covers history and politics. In addition, he co-hosts the Unclear and Present Danger podcast on the political and military thrillers of the 1990s. Jamelle was formerly chief political correspondent for Slate magazine. He began his career at The American Prospect magazine and also spent time as a writer for The Daily Beast. Jamelle has also contributed essays to volumes such as “Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019” and “The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story.” In 2021, he received the Hillman Prize for Opinion & Analysis Journalism and in 2024 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Science. Jamelle attended the University of Virginia, where he graduated in 2009 with degrees in political and social thought, and government.
STEVEN LEVITSKY – “The Great Abdication: America’s Descent into Authoritarianism”
The David Rockefeller professor of Latin American Studies and of government is director of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard. He is Senior Fellow at the Kettering Foundation and a Senior Democracy Fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations. Steven is co-author (with Daniel Ziblatt) of “How Democracies Die,” a New York Times bestseller, and “Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point.”
This is the speech, edited for length, given by Professor Steven Levitsky at FFRF’s national convention in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Oct.18. He was introduced by FFRF Executive Board member David Tamayo, who is co-founder of Hispanic American Freethinkers.
David Tamayo: Professor Steven Levitsky’s background is of special interest to me as a Latino. He is the David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and director of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard. He is senior fellow at the Kettering Foundation and a senior democracy fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
He is co-author of “How Democracies Die,” which was a New York Times bestseller and published in 30 languages. It was followed by the book “Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point.” He is currently working with a colleague on a book about democratic resilience across the world.
Please welcome Professor Steven Levitsky.
Read Steven’s speech in Freethought Today.
JOHN FUGELSANG – “Separation of Church and Hate”
John’s been murdered on CSI, interviewed 2 Beatles on separate continents in the same week, and famously once got Mitt Romney’s advisor to call Governor Romney an ‘etch a sketch’ on CNN. Actor, comedian & broadcaster John Fugelsang hosts ‘Tell Me Everything” weekdays on SiriusXM Insight #121, and has interviewed everyone from Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and Yoko Ono to Stanley Tucci, Rita Moreno and Carl Reiner. He recently performed in “The Bill of Rights Concert” alongside Lewis Black & Dick Gregory, which aired on AXS. He’s also appeared at Montreal’s “Just for Laughs” Festival, HBO’s U.S Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, hosted America’s Funniest Home Videos for ABC and Bill Maher called him “one of my favorite comedians.” He recently performed in “The Bill of Rights Concert” alongside Lewis Black & Dick Gregory which aired on AXS. He’s also hosted America’s Funniest Home Videos for ABC and Bill Maher called him ‘one of my favorite comedians’. His new film “Dream On,” examining the American Dream, features 200 interviews in 55 cities including 17 states. His new book, just out, is “Separate Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds.”
