News
No Kings on President’s Day Protest
SHL participated in a nation wide protest on President's Day 2025 to oppose the illegal and immoral actions of the Trump administration. We joined concerned citizens from around the state at the SC State House in Columbia. This protest is part of the #50501 movement: 50 protests in 50 states on 1...
President’s Day Protest
Join your humanist friends for a national day of protest on at noon on President’s Day, Monday, Feb 17th at the Statehouse grounds in Columbia. Be a part of history, as a protest is happening at every state capitol in the country! If you want to carpool, send a message with your address and...
Activist Sunday
We had 41 people come out to our first Activist Sunday. We wrote 137 postcards to our SC state senators and representatives asking them to oppose bills that violate the separation of church and state, and are inconsistent with our humanist values.
It’s Darwin Week at the College of Charleston!
The College of Charleston has a slate of public events celebrating Darwin Week
The Good News
This blog post is republished from the February 2025 issue of The Separationist.The Good News by Tucker Lentz The news is dark—so very, very dark. My mind keeps returning to the Night on Bald Mountain scene in Disney’s 1940 spectacle Fantasia. As night falls, the mountain’s peak transforms into a...
The February issue of The Separationist is out now!
In this issue: The Good News To offset the darkness of the daily news, we will highlight good news stories. Activist Sunday: Take Action! Announcing the first monthly organizing meeting for secular activists. Activist Corner There are some bad bills coming through the SC legislature....
Intergenerational Organizing with Marcus McDonald
For our February member gathering we welcome Marcus McDonald for a discussion of the importance of intergenerational organizing. Many of us feel frustrated by societal issues but are unsure how to contribute effectively. Marcus will share insights from his work with Charleston Black Lives Matter...
The 2nd Sunday is now Activist Sunday
Starting February 9th, the 2nd Sunday of each month will be Activist Sunday. Wondering what to do about democracy slipping away? Join SHL for our first monthly Activist Sunday. Monthly, secular activists will gather with community activists and those who want to take action. We’ll bring together...
SHL Board Game Day
Come to Game Day with the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry, hosted by Chuck and Ann Hammond. Get ready for an afternoon of fun, laughter, and a little friendly competition playing board games! This is the perfect chance to connect with fellow members, enjoy some lighthearted rivalry, and show...
Game Day Photos 2025-01-19
Special Election on Tuesday, January 21, 2025
We want to raise awareness of the special election for SC House District 113 happening on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. District 113 covers most of North Charleston and parts of Lincolnville, Ladson and Summerville. This particular election is the Democratic Primary for the seat, but there are no...
5000 Black: Afro Futurist Art Exhibition Series (Jan. 17th to Feb. 2nd)
SHL is a silver sponsor of 5000 BLACK: Afro Futurist Art Exhibition Series (Jan. 17th to Feb. 2nd). 5000 BLACK is a continuation of the X000 BLACK series of Afro-Fututurist exhibitions co-hosted by Zania Cummings & Marcus McDonald that have taken place throughout Charleston since 2023. The...
Q1 2025 Charity of the Quarter: Tri-County S.P.E.A.K.S.
For Q1 2025 we are raising money for Tri-County S.P.E.A.K.S. Sexual Assault Center (TCS, formerly People Against Rape). TCS is a sexual assault advocacy program offering free support and services for adult survivors of sexual assault in Charleston, Dorchester, and Berkeley counties of South...
American Atheists’ State of the Secular States Report
Our friends at American Atheists have launched the 2025 State of the Secular States Report, which you can download at https://states.atheists.org/ If you’re on their mailing list you may have already gotten an email about it but here is the press release if you missed it! They are having a webinar...
Last Call for Donations to Park Circle Cares
So far we have raised $740 for Park Circle Cares, our Q4 Charity of the Quarter. There is a little more than one day left in the quarter, so it isn’t too late to contribute!We are going to continue to support Park Circle Cares with volunteer service at their monthly food distributions on the 3rd...
Solstice Party and Potluck
Let's gather to enjoy food, drink, good friends and the coming of longer days at the SHL 2024 Winter Solstice Celebration, hosted by Susie Adams at the Overture apartment community on Daniel Island. All are encouraged to bring drinks or a dish to share. Ugly sweaters are also encouraged. 5:30 pm...
New Article by Herb Silverman: Values and Purposes
by Herb Silverman What is the number one purpose of human existence? The primary biological purpose of every living thing, including humans, is to replicate so the species will survive. This is as true today as it was in prehistoric times. Charles Darwin showed that human are animals in a long...
New LTE by Herb Silverman: Don’t Put Ten Commandments in Schools
https://www.postandcourier.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/opinion-letters-isle-of-palms-parking-ten-commandments-vets/article_39a2af66-a2ca-11ef-800a-9346268759a6.html Ten Commandments An Associated Press article by Sara Cline and Kevin McGill, published last month, was about Louisiana wanting to...
What do we do now? A Group Discussion
Join your humanist friends at the Charleston Public Library, Main Branch (68 Calhoun St), for a group discussion about what we do now. There is no speaker, or pre-planned program. This will just be a group of concerned humanists getting together to support one another, and to discuss our feelings...
Stop Project 2025 Postcard Writing Party
View the photo album on Google Photos.
Comfort Food Potluck
Many of us are feeling anxiety about the upcoming election, and while we remain committed to working hard in the fight to uphold the separation of church and state, we also need to take time for self-care. So let’s celebrate the beauty and resilience of our unique community with comfort food and...
SHL @ Charleston Pride 2024
View the photo album on Google Photos.
Media Literacy: Critical Thinking for the 21st Century
Join your humanists friends for our September member gathering where Frank W. Baker will be leading an interactive workshop on Media Literacy: Critical Thinking for the 21st Century. Frank W. Baker is highly lauded in the field of media literacy. He is a former Educational Consultant at SCETV, and...
Defending Libraries and Librarians: a discussion featuring Katherine Freligh
Join your humanists friends to talk about what we can do to support and protect our libraries and librarians. Katherine Freligh, the Legislative Chair of the South Carolina Association of School Librarians, will be talking to us and leading a discussion about current threats to public and school...
Train to Register Voters
If the November election is a turn toward fascism, will you regret what you didn’t do? Only about half of registered voters in SC typically vote in national elections between presidential election years, and only about 6% vote in state and local elections. We need more voters to vote in those...
Good Without God….but How?
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." This is a foundational idea of American culture and society, but what if you don't...
Protest Against Unity City
View the photo album on Google Photos.
Spring Potluck Picnic & Election
Join us Sunday, May 19th for SHL's annual spring picnic at Wannamaker County Park at 11:30 am, and enjoy food and fellowship with your humanist friends. We have created an optional sign-up sheet where you can see what other people are bringing and list what you will be bringing. This may be...
2024 Picnic
View the photo album on Google Photos.
Capers Island Wildlife Exploration
Join your friends from SHL on a nature adventure to Capers Island Heritage Preserve. Capers Island is a pristine barrier island just north of Charleston that is only accessible by boat. We will cruise through winding tidal creeks to find diverse wildlife living in this salt marsh ecosystem. A...
SHL @ Capers Island 2024
View the photo album on Google Photos.
March Member Gathering featuring Dr. Lisa Ross
March is Women's history month and for our member gathering we are excited to welcome Dr. Lisa Ross. Dr. Ross is a professor of social psychology at the College of Charleston. In addition to psychology classes, she teaches in the Women’s and Gender Studies program as well as the Environmental and...
SHL group trip to the International African American Museum
Join your humanist friends on an outing to the International African American Museum in Charleston. Dedicated to honoring the untold stories of the African American journey at one of our country's most sacred sites, the museum documents the journey that began in Africa centuries ago, and still...
SHL 30th Anniversary Party!
2024 marks 30 years since the founding of the The Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry, and we are throwing a party to kick off a year honoring our 30 years of being Good Without God in the Lowcountry! Please join us at 4 pm at Gage Hall on Sunday, January 21st. Maggie Ardiente, president of the...
SHL 30th Anniversary Party with Maggie Ardiente
View the photo album on Google Photos.
Yule have fun at the Humanist Solstice Celebration!
Let's gather to enjoy food, drink, good friends and the coming of longer days at the SHL 2023 Solstice Celebration, hosted at the home of Deb & Rob Britt. Members and nonmembers are welcome, and all are encouraged to bring drinks or a dish to share.We will also be holding a white elephant gift...
Separation of Church and State Month SHL Member Gathering
November is Separation of Church and State month! The Separation of Church & State Week falls in the week of Thanksgiving Day as a secular response to National Bible Week, from November 19 to 25 this year. The Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (AU) and the Institute for...
Free Thought Month SHL Member Gathering
October is Free Thought month! A month that encourages people to be free thinkers and base their opinions on facts, science, logic, and reason. Let's raise awareness about independent thinking. Every free and democratic citizen must be allowed to enjoy the freedom of political, educational and...
SHL Discussion: Intellectual Freedom is Under Attack
Authoritarians and cult leaders limit knowledge to control the populace. It's happening now, right here in our own community, with attempted book and curriculum bans. How will Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry take action to advocate for intellectual freedom? Banned Books week is around the...
Panel Discussion: Public Education as a Building Block of Democracy
From the early days of our nation, public education has played a vital role in American democratic society. In addition to preparing young people for productive work and fulfilling lives, public education has also been expected to accomplish certain collective missions aimed at promoting the...
Spring Potluck Picnic & Election
Join us Sunday, May 21st for SHL's annual spring picnic at Wannamaker County Park at 11:30 am, and enjoy food and fellowship with your humanist friends. If you've never been to an SHL event, we'd especially like to welcome you. We invite you to bring food and drinks to share, but we always have...
Day of Action: Fighting Christian Nationalists on Our local School Boards
Fueled by rage against mask mandates and vaccines during the pandemic -- and in opposition to equity initiatives that followed George Floyd's murder -- the 2022 election saw white Christian Nationalists win seats on school boards across the country. In the Lowcountry, they have secured majorities...
Franklin D. Williams on “The Other Charleston”
February is Black History Month, and so for our member gathering we will feature a talk on the hidden and under appreciated history and contributions of Black Americans in Charleston and the surrounding areas. The talk will be given by Franklin D. Williams, owner of Frankly Charleston Black...
What do you want from your humanist community? SHL 2023 Kickoff Gathering
The new year is upon us and, while we have big plans for 2023, we want our members to be involved in planning and driving activities that serve our mission. The SHL mission is to promote the secular humanist viewpoint as a valid contribution to public discourse, to strive to maintain the First...