Ethical Humanist Society of the Triangle

Ted Talk - The Mission to Safeguard Black History in the US
2026-02-08 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Program using Zoom
We will play a Ted Talk by Julieanna Richardson who founded TheHistoryMakers. The organization is a digital repository for the black experience. Here is an excerpt from its website: “The HistoryMakers is a national 501 (c ) (3) non-profit research and educational institution committed to preserving and making widely accessible the untold personal stories of both well-known and unsung African Americans. Through the media and a series of user-friendly products, services and events, The HistoryMakers enlightens, entertains and educates the public, helping to refashion a more inclusive record of American history.” The talk will be followed by a discussion of Ms. Richardson’s talk.
This program will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please use our contact us form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make your request.

This Is Not America, or Is It?
2026-02-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Recent events in the U.S. are startling to many Americans, events such as the killing of Renee Good by ICE agents, and the creation of camps in and out of the U.S. for immigrants rounded up by ICE. Some say this is not America! But, is it? Are those that say that correct? What does our history show about what is America and what is not? EHST member and frequent guest speaker, Solomon Gibson III, will present us with his answer to this question.
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact us form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make your request.

No Meeting
2026-02-22 08:00 - 17:00
EHST is not meeting this Sunday. See you on March 1st.

Pee Wee Homes - Housing for the Needy
2026-03-01 14:00 - 16:00 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
PeeWeeHomes is a local organization whose mission is to create dignified, affordable, tiny homes in a caring community for, and with people transitioning out of homelessness. Their homes of 250-400 square feet enable people who can not afford larger homes to have a place to live. Representatives from PeeWeeHomes will tell us the story of how they came to be, how they function, and what the future holds.
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact us form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make your request.

Urgent Work to Protect North Carolina’s Environment
2026-03-08 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual Program using Zoom
The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) does great work across the South to protect the environment. Please join us for excerpts from their webinar on what’s happening with protecting North Carolina’s environment. We will then discuss the points raised by SELC and what we can do as individuals.
This program will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please use our contact us form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make your request.

Community Day
2026-03-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
What is a community day? It is a program in which a topic is introduced for discusssion, followed by breakout into small groups for discussion, and then we reconvene as a whole to review ideas, and thoughts arising from the group discussions. Our program will be led by Jan Broughton who has conducted these community days in the past. The topic will be introduced soon.
Given the nature of this program, there will be no Zoom option.

CROP Walk
2026-03-22 13:30 - 15:30
We will participate in the local CROP Walk. The CROP Walk is our ethical action activity for this quarter. It is a local walk sponsored by the InterFaith Council (IFC) to raise money to fight hunger both locally and internationally. Find out more about it here: https://www.ifcweb.org/features/2026-crop-hunger-walk Registration begins at 1:30, and the actual walk begins at 2:30. If you are an EHST member, please wear your EHST t-shirt.
There will be no program at our usual venue, Extraordinary Ventures.

How to be Foolproof in Today's News Environment
2026-03-29 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual Program using Zoom
The founder of The Alliance For Trust in Media, veteran journalist and media executive Eric Schurenberg will take you through a crash course in navigating today’s chaotic news environment to uncover information you can trust. He’ll explain the economic reasons that news gets delivered the way it does, the effects of the growing seepage of AI into the information ecosystem, and some quick, non-partisan rules that you can deploy to avoid being misled online.
Eric is the former editor in chief of the publications Inc., Money, CBS MoneyWatch and BNET and the former CEO of Inc. and Fast Company. He’s now a distinguished instructor of journalism at University of Chicago and the host of the podcast In Reality.
This is a Zoom only program sponsored by the American Ethical Union. You must register to participate. You may do so via this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ofKPzj3cR0iJJRhKbFX1lg#/registration

What is SEEDS?
2026-04-05 14:00 - 16:00 | SEEDS, 706 Gilbert St., Durham, NC, United States
EHST will have its program in a different venue, at the SEEDS facility in Durham. We will hear about the history and work of SEEDS. Founded in 1994, SEEDS is a two-acre urban garden and kitchen classroom in the heart of Durham. SEEDS develops the capacity of young people to respect life, the earth, and each other through growing, cooking, and sharing food.
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact us form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make your request.

Discussion - A Dark Political Reality in Florida
2026-04-12 14:00 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
We will discuss a recent article (interview) in the New York Times about Michelle Goldberg’s views of Florida’s James Fishback, a Republican primary candidate who has “antisemitic views and his appeal to young male voters.” (see https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/opinion/fishback-florida-governor-antisemitism.html) There is a lot to digest in this article, so it needs careful reading. The discussion will be moderated to ensure everyone has a chance to voice their perspective.
This program will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please use our contact us form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make your request.

Food, Games, and Fun
2026-04-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
We are taking a break, and instead are having a time to enjoy some good food (potluck style) and play some games. If you have a favorite game to play, bring it. Ideally it would be for four or more people. Please, do not bring alcoholic beverages. Our lease does not allow for that.
This event is in-person only; the meeting will not be Zoomed.

Jordan Lake Cleanup Day
2026-04-26 10:00 - 17:00 | Jordan Lake, NC
We will have our first Jordan Lake cleanup day in conjunction with other humanist and secular groups in the Triangle. The cleanup will begin with a 15 minute introduction by Jordan Lake staff, and then about 2 hours of time. Participants must be 18 yrs or older, and able to navigate rocky terrain (riprap along the lakesides). Cleanup materials are provided by Jordan Lake staff. To find out more about cleanup events at Jordan Lake, check out this website: https://www.cleanjordanlake.org/public
If you wish to participate, please signup via this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jordan-lake-cleanup-tickets-1986523203377?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

This event will not be Zoomed.

An Introduction to Ethical Humanism aka Ethical Culture
2026-05-03 14:00 - 16:00 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
EHST member, Chris Kaman, will cover the basics for understanding what “Ethical Humanism” is, and how it is related to “Ethical Culture”. He will review how its core components, and then focus on the 8 commitments of Ethical Culture. Both members and visitors will benefit from this presentation, and there will be ample time for discussion. Chris has been a member of EHST since 1994.
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact us form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make your request.

Beware the Power of Prediction
2026-05-10 14:00 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Aside from self-fulfilling prophecies which we know are often self-defeating, predicting the future course of events has both desirable and undesirable effects. Join us for a brief Ted Talk about this, and then share your thoughts on the talk. Do you like ruminating about the future of things, or does it annoy you, or depress you?
This program will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please use our contact us form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make your request.

What Is It Like to be a 911 Operator?
2026-05-17 14:00 - 16:00 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Have you ever wondered what a 911 operator experiences in a typical work day? Is it a constant stream of horrible situations such as the depictions you see on TV? Or it is 90% boredom coupled with 10% horror? We will hear from a 911 operator today. She will share experiences, and insights from her work. Of course, we won’t be sharing any names of callers; we respect their confidentiality.
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact us form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make your request.

American Indians in NC: Sappony Spotlight
2026-06-07 14:00 - 16:00 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Kara Stewart will speak with us about NC’s current American Indian tribes, highlighting her own tribe, the Sappony, whose traditional territory straddles the NC/VA state line. You can find North Carolina’s state and federally recognized tribes on the NC Commission of Indian Affairs website.
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact us form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make your request.

Flock Cameras: The Risks of Building a "Local" (but really national) Surveillance Network
2026-06-14 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Automated license plate reader cameras are often presented as simple crime-fighting tools, but systems like Flock create a searchable record of where ordinary people drive, when they travel, and who they may be visiting. This talk will explain how these camera networks work, why they raise serious privacy and civil liberties concerns, and why communities should think carefully before allowing this kind of surveillance infrastructure to take root.
This program will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please use our contact us form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make your request.

Some Ethical Considerations for the Use of AI in Warfare
2026-06-21 14:00 - 16:00 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
AI is rapidly becoming mandatory for modern militaries. Drone swarms, autonomous weapons, the use of AI for identifying military targets and directing weapons can be highly effective where human control fails. To what extent should AI be trusted with lethal force? What limitations should be placed on AI on the battlefield? What levels of human control could or should be included? As with “human judgement”, where is the line between acceptable collateral damage and survival? We will have a presentation and discussion about the ethical considerations for the use of AI by the military.
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please use our contact us form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make your request.

July 4th Holiday Weekend
2026-07-05
We are not having a program since it is the July 4th weekend, and many of you will be out of town.
Have a good weekend!

Climate Change - Funding Real Change
2026-07-12 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Amid all the wins and losses we have seen in combatting climate change, have we learned anything? We will listen to two short TED talks about climate change and what funding strategies for combatting climate change actually work, and don’t work. We will then discuss whether we agree with the points made by the two speakers.

This program will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please use our contact us form (https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/) to make your request.

The State of Reproductive Rights in NC: How We Got Here, and Where We Go From Here.
2026-07-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Attacks on abortion access and reproductive freedom have long been rooted in patriarchal efforts to control other people’s bodies. Despite the fact that North Carolina has a history of being a more moderate state on abortion access (some abortion was legal in NC pre-Roe), the past 15 years have seen a dramatic restriction on access to abortion here, led by right-wing political actors in our state. Misinformation, gerrymandered legislative maps, the politicization of healthcare, and the weaponization of religion have all played a role. Join us and Pro-Choice North Carolina for an overview of the landscape of reproductive healthcare in NC, and a discussion of how we got here and where we go in our effort to protect and expand reproductive freedom.

This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. Please sign up for our program via our Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-state-of-reproductive-rights-in-nc-tickets-1988904148849?aff=oddtdtcreator
