Please welcome the Center for Freethought Equality’s summer intern, Jada Majied!
TheHumanist.com: What is your educational and work background?
I am currently an undergraduate student at Indiana University (IU) majoring in political science with a minor in political and civic engagement. With this education I hope to run for office in the future with a grassroots campaign dedicated to advocating for progressive solutions to today’s problems. I always make sure to align myself with jobs and positions that highlight advocacy work and strive towards making a difference. Currently I am the Director of Outreach and Diversity for College Democrats at IU where we host meetings educating students on various political topics from elections to social justice issues. I also have completed an internship with the Indiana Democratic Party where I was able to work with politicians at the local, state, and federal levels, helping to get Democrats into office. With my new position as a CFE intern I am excited to see what this organization has in store for me!
TheHumanist.com: How did you first learn about humanism?
While I have known of the existence of humanism for quite some time, I never did the proper research to fully understand those who identify as humanist. After reviewing and educating myself on humanism through the American Humanist Association website, I realized that it described who I was as a person perfectly. The incorporation of scientific research, facts, and encompassing a respectful mindset towards others, is a lifestyle I have been practicing even when I was still attached to a religion. Identifying as a humanist was a very easy and seamless action that didn’t feel like being confined to a box, but embracing the traits of myself that I already hold.
TheHumanist.com: Did you grow up in a traditional religious faith? How did it impact you?
I was raised in a religious household, where, for a quarter of my life we attended a Baptist church. As a child, I did not quite understand the teachings of religion and found myself with question after question on why we must believe in religion and how religion should impact our lives. While in the church, ideals were preached to us that did not seem ethical to me, this included topics that seemed harmful to women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those who do not follow a religion. As I grew older, I realized that the faith conflicted with my own standards for kindness and respect, which led me to understand that I do not need to be religious in order to live a full life but I need to be a good person to create a life that is full.
TheHumanist.com: What interested you most about working for the American Humanist Association?
I really wanted to work for and surround myself with individuals who share the same progressive standards as myself in terms of how society should change for the better. In my search to be a part of an organization that promotes justice to marginalized communities and ethical policies, I found the American Humanist Association. The AHA and The Center for Freethought Equality exemplified what it meant to be a part of the solution and the more I Iearned about their goals the more I was ready to join the team!
TheHumanist.com: What book has influenced you the most?
A book that influenced me the most is Becoming Abolitionists by Derecka Purnell. While I label myself as a progressive individual, I found that this book was aggressively progressive in its ideals for how society should correct current injustices and move forward to create a more efficient society. Purnell touched on many different areas in communities that need to be either extinguished entirely or broken down to be built up into something better and as I was reading, it was difficult to adjust to the idea of such a progressive form of reformation. Becoming Abolitionists definitely challenged my thinking and pushed me to understand how to get very idealistic forms of activism into feasible objectives.
TheHumanist.com: If you could have dinner with any three people in the world (living or dead), who would they be and why?
1.) I would have dinner with US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She has been my inspiration since I first got into politics in high school and I admire the way that she interacts with not just her constituents but people across the country. 2.) I would definitely want to meet with Malcolm X. I think the way that he approached activism in his time was seen as incredibly radical and dangerous and I would love to understand how he would view today’s activism. 3.) I would love to meet with George Lee Jr. (a.k.a. The Conscious Lee) a digital creator who constructively breaks down today's controversies. I believe he would have incredible ideas about how to reform struggles and trauma in the black community.
