Embracing Black Humanism: Reflection on Dr.Anthony Pinn’s Vision
by Genesis Eririoma
Watching Dr. Anthony Pinn speak on “Black Humanism: Past, Present, Future” awakened in me a deeper sense of purpose, how humanism must speak to our historical struggles, our present pains, and our future hopes, especially for people of African descent. The lecture is a powerful call to root secular humanism in our specific stories, to resist erasure, and to reclaim dignity in a world shaped by colonialism and religious dominance emphasizing the fact that black humanism has always been there.
Three ideas stood out most powerfully:
1. Dr. Pinn emphasizes that humanism must account for history and identity. For Black people, the story is not abstract; our ancestors endured slavery, racism, and theological justifications of oppression. A humanism that ignores those wounds is inadequate. What’s needed is a humanism that addresses how religion was often complicit in denying humanity to Black bodies.
2. He argues that Black humanism must be creative and transformative. It cannot merely mimic Western secular models. It should renew our culture, arts, social movements, and community life around dignity, reason, and solidarity.
3. He insists that the future of humanism in Black communities depends on inclusive education, narrative reclamation, and institutional spaces that allow Black humanists to flourish without hostility or coercion.
Dr. Pinn made me feel both affirmation and challenge. Affirmation because his words resonate with what I have tried to do in Nigeria with the Africa Enlightenment Centre. They confirm that secular humanism must be sensitive to context, our wounds, our histories, our vernaculars. They challenge me to deepen my work so it is not only rational but healing, creative, rooted, and resilient.
This lecture pushes me to expand what I call “critical thinking” beyond logic and debate. It should also include reclamation of memory, liberation from internalized inferiority, and the construction of shared secular narratives in African cultures. It fuels my conviction that initiatives like Thinkers Club ought to host not just inquiry but story, expression, art, and community healing.
In the end, Dr. Pinn’s message reminds me that Black humanism is not a luxury: it is a necessity. In societies where religious dogma has often been used to oppress, humanism provides a language of freedom that is both universal and particular, anchored in reason but attuned to our unique journeys. My work must honor that balance: a rational revolution that heals as it liberates.
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The Rise of the Nones by Ryan Cragun
by Genesis Eririoma
Reading “The Push Away from Religion and the Pull Towards Secularity: The Rise of the Nones” by Ryan Cragun and Jesse Smith reminded me of the growing wave of awakening I have witnessed through my work with the Africa Enlightenment Centre. The authors describe why increasing numbers of people are leaving religion and embracing secular identities, and their analysis captures a change that I believe will shape the moral and intellectual future of humanity especially Africa.
Three major points stood out to me, first of which is, they explain that many people are pushed away from religion by hypocrisy, intolerance, and the moral contradictions within religious institutions. When faith becomes an instrument of control or exclusion, it loses its moral authority. Second, they point to the pull of secular life, the attraction of autonomy, intellectual honesty, and freedom from dogma. People are not only escaping religion; they are being drawn to a worldview that values evidence, compassion, and reason. And finally, they show that this shift is generational and cultural. Younger people, especially in open societies, are more comfortable identifying as nonreligious because they have access to diverse ideas and face less social pressure to conform.
I strongly relate to these ideas as a Nigerian. In Nigeria, I have seen similar trends, though slower and more hidden. Many young people now question what they once feared to doubt. The forces that Cragun and Smith describe are quietly at work here too, people pushed away by religious oppression and pulled toward freedom of thought. This realization strengthened my conviction to create spaces for open inquiry. It inspired projects like Critical Thinking for Secondary Schools, which I wrote to help young minds break free from unexamined beliefs, and the Thinkers Club initiative now being established in secondary schools, beginning with Government Secondary School, Barkin-Ado in Nasarawa State.
For me, the essay affirms that the rise of the nones is not a rejection of morality but a reawakening of human responsibility. It is the natural outcome of curiosity, education, and honesty. The movement away from religion and toward secularity is a quiet revolution, one that promises a world guided not by fear of the unseen, but by care for the seen and the living.
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Humanism and it’s Possibilities in Africa
by Genesis Eririoma
My encounter with Dr. Leo Igwe, when I interviewed him on my YouTube channel Africa Enlightenment Centre, remains one of the most thought-provoking moments of my journey as a freethinker. During the conversation, I was struck by his calm conviction and deep sense of purpose in promoting reason and human dignity in a continent still held by superstition and religious fear. His insights confirmed what I had already sensed, that Africa needs a new generation of thinkers who will place human welfare and rational understanding above inherited beliefs.
After reading this his profound essay “Humanism and its Possibilities in Africa,” which further deepened my respect for his work. Three major points in the article stood out to me. First, Dr. Igwe explains that humanism is a worldview that empowers people to live ethical and meaningful lives without dependence on gods or dogma. Second, he shows that humanist ideas can help dismantle harmful traditions such as the Osu caste system, witchcraft accusations, and ritual killings that continue to destroy innocent lives. Third, he reminds us that promoting humanism in Africa is both dangerous and necessary, yet essential for our collective progress and liberation.
I strongly agree with his message. His courage and dedication inspired me to begin the Critical Thinking for Secondary Schools project, which I wrote and dedicated to him. The book was born out of the same vision, to build a generation of young Africans who can question, reason, and think independently. From this, I developed the Thinkers Club initiative, which aims to establish clubs across Nigerian secondary schools to nurture critical thought. Our pilot scheme is currently active at Government Secondary School, Barkin-Ado, Karu in Nasarawa State, where we are setting up a Thinkers Library and Enlightenment Centre to encourage open learning and rational discourse.
Dr. Leo Igwe’s work has shown me that humanism is not merely an idea but a moral duty, to think clearly, act justly, and defend human dignity. His life continues to remind me that the true liberation of Africa will come not through miracles or myths, but through education, critical inquiry, and compassion grounded in reason.
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Are Atheists More Moral Than Religious People?
by Genesis Eririoma
Phil Zuckerman’s presentation, “Are Atheists More Moral than Religious People? Here are the Facts,” questions one of the most common assumptions in human society, that morality depends on religion. Drawing from research and social data, Zuckerman argues that nonreligious people can live moral and meaningful lives without belief in God. His approach is not sentimental but factual, and his conclusions invite deep reflection about how we define goodness.
Zuckerman makes three major points:
1. Studies show that secular people often display higher levels of compassion, tolerance, and honesty in public life. They tend to support human rights, gender equality, and social justice, and are less likely to discriminate against minorities.
2. Religion does not automatically produce moral behavior. In some highly religious societies, intolerance, corruption, and discrimination are common. Many religious people obey doctrines out of fear of punishment rather than genuine empathy for others.
3. Secular morality is grounded in humanism, reason, and empathy. It rests on the understanding that people should act ethically because it improves human life, not because they seek divine reward or fear divine judgment.
This message resonates with me deeply. In Africa, where religion dominates public thought, morality is often confused with worship. Those who identify as atheists or freethinkers are branded as lost or corrupt. Yet I have seen more hypocrisy among the devout than among thoughtful nonbelievers. Zuckerman’s evidence strengthens what I already believe, that goodness comes from the human heart and mind, not from holy books. It encourages me to keep promoting critical thinking and humanistic values through the Thinkers Club and the Africa Enlightenment Centre, where young people can learn to live ethically through empathy, reason, and shared humanity rather than fear.
Zuckerman’s talk cannot be seen as an attack on religion but a call for honesty. It reminds us that morality is larger than faith and that people can be good without gods. The true measure of a moral person is not belief, but how one treats others, with fairness, compassion, and respect for human dignity.