Christian Hayden Leader in Training Which parts of us do we hide? Which parts do we shield from light because of shame or fear? What can happen if we talk to them? In a multimedia art performance, Christian will explore what we keep hidden from ourselves using dance and poetry to see if from darkness [...]

Susanna Loewy and Gabriel Nathan Ellipses Co-founders The Ellipses Ensemble has its home at the Ethical Society. Through a series of public concerts in conjunction with original documentaries, the Ellipses Ensemble aims to increase awareness surrounding mental health. The Ellipses Ensemble was named as such to infer “There is more.” Concerts are curated according to [...]

Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society On the first Sunday of each year we at the Philadelphia Ethical Society honor loved ones, colleagues, and historical heroes who are lost but not forgotten. We share memories that can inspire us to bring out our best and live full lives. Members and visitors are encouraged share a [...]

Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and February’s Black History Month, Hugh Taft-Morales will discuss how the horrific damage done to people and communities of color due to “white supremacy” can practically paralyze many who in theory support campaigns for justice. He will share information about a [...]

Kathleen Brown, Professor of History, UPenn VanJessica Gladney, Public History Fellow, UPenn Kathleen Brown and VanJessica Gladney (Class of 2018) will discuss the impetus behind the creation of the Penn and Slavery student research project in Fall 2017 and some of its findings. The University of Pennsylvania, while not itself a slaveholding institution, was complicit [...]

Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society Discussions about the food we eat can be intense and divisive.  The cruel treatment of animals used to provide humans with food, along with environmental and social justice issues, can divide progressive groups that agree on many things. How do we work through differences about personal decisions about what we consume? [...]

Mia Bay History Professor, University of Pennsylvania Born into slavery in Mississippi in 1862, Ida B. Wells overcame a difficult childhood to become a prominent journalist and social reformer, who was as outspoken as any of her male contemporaries. Speaking at a time when it was not customary for women to talk about violence, sex, [...]

Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society There are few historical figures that better epitomize resiliency, integrity, and strength of personality than Frederick Douglass. Few can match how he maintained his sense of self-worth against all odds and rose to the pinnacle of prestige. If it is true that, as Douglass said, “We have to do [...]

Rachel Devlin History Professor, Rutgers University Rachel Devlin offers the first new history of the struggle for school desegregation in more than four decades, revealing it as a grassroots movement led by girls and young women. In the immediate aftermath of World War II, young African American women and girls, almost exclusively, attempted to register [...]

Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society What is it to “own” something? Is it just to have exclusive access to, or control over, a resource? How did the concept of “ownership” arise? Is it true that “property is theft”? How have the concepts of property and money evolved so as to de-emphasize the shared resources [...]