EthicalStL.org

An overview of psychedelic pharmacology and then a look into the clinical and neuroscientific data that have led to growing interest in psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted therapy.” Dr. Siegel will present the risks and challenges of psychedelics for treatment in mood and addiction disorders, and consider what impacts these treatments may have on the mental health system.

This presentation will give a brief overview of the Missourians for Constitutional Freedom campaign. This campaign is to push a constitutional amendment that will end the cruel Missouri ban on abortion. Presentation attendees will hear more about the campaign, have an opportunity to sign the petition, and learn ways that they are able to plug in and be part of the campaign going forward!

Sixteen years ago, she was just a kid that didn’t want to live. Six years ago, she wasn’t sure if teaching was for her. 2023 Illinois Teacher of the Year Briana Morales shares candid moments from both personal life and a career dedicated to working with youth furthest from justice in an alternative setting to illustrate how the love and compassion of educators can break many chains and heal unspoken wounds for our young people. Morales’ journey is living testimony of the philosophy that she seeks to impress upon her students and those who seek to know and understand them better: we can turn our pain into power and that can reveal our purpose. Briana Morales is a proud Latina and freedom fighter for students in alternative education, where she has spent her career loving and learning alongside students furthest from justice in East St. Louis, IL. She focuses on empowering her students with personalized, competency-based education where their cultural funds of knowledge are honored and students work at their own pace to master content rather than traditional learning that focuses on seat time and completion of work. Morales was honored as a 2021 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Early Career Educator of Color and has shared the journey her students have embarked on to turn pain into power through poetry both locally and nationally. Her commitment as a school board member for the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, School District #428 has allowed her to elevate the voices of justice-impacted youth. Morales has been active at the state level in education policy work around diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Most recently, she was a champion of $300K in state funding to provide professional development to in-service educators around cultural responsiveness. She is deeply passionate about creating healing-centered spaces where Black and brown students can feel seen, heard, and, one day, be free to be their authentic selves. Her love offering toward this future is her nonprofit, (Sister)Hood of Hope, Inc., dedicated to honoring brighter futures for girls of color everywhere by empowering them through the community of sisterhood. Morales believes in education as a tool that equips young people to become change agents in their community and have a fighting chance at the life they deserve. She is currently a doctoral candidate in diversity and equity in education at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Briana is the 2023 Illinois Teacher of the Year.

The legal battle over abortion rights in Missouri underscores a fundamental clash between religious beliefs and constitutional principles. Laws such as H.B. 126, passed in 2019, impose severe restrictions on abortion access under the guise of religious conviction, disregarding the diverse religious perspectives within the state. This legislation, triggered by the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, immediately banned most abortions in Missouri. Such laws, supported by legislators who justify them on religious grounds, blatantly disregard the principle of separation of church and state. Missouri’s abortion restrictions, dating back to 1986 and exacerbated by subsequent bills in 2014 and 2017, significantly impede access to abortion services, imposing burdensome requirements such as mandatory waiting periods and physician-specific counseling. Despite objections from clergy members representing various Christian denominations, Judaism, and Unitarian Universalism, the legislature persists in enacting laws that reflect a singular religious viewpoint. In response to these restrictions, a coalition led by Americans United and the National Women’s Law Center filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Missouri’s abortion laws. Their argument is based on the violation of Missouri’s constitutional provisions safeguarding the separation of church and state. The litigation, supported by clergy plaintiffs like Rev. Traci Blackmon and Maharat Rori Picker Neiss, aims to overturn these laws and restore reproductive autonomy. The legal proceedings commenced with a hearing on June 13, 2023, where the plaintiffs argued against a motion to dismiss the case, which was largely rejected by the court on June 30, 2023. Subsequent motions and arguments have been filed, with the defendants contending that they should prevail without further proceedings. The litigation represents a critical effort to defend individual liberties and uphold the principle that laws should not be based on religious doctrine, but rather on constitutional rights and freedoms.

Arts organizations such as St. Louis’ Prison Performing Arts have nearly eliminated recidivism for participants that continue after confinement in their Prison Performing Arts Alumni Theater Company. Through personal experience of going from nursing professor to drug addict, our speaker Julie Antonic will share how this arts organization transformed her life, as well as countless others across the country. The stigma of being an ex-felon creates huge barriers when felons return to their communities. When prisoners and ex-prisoners are given a voice, that platform can change everything. In Act I of Julie Antonic's life, she was a travel RN, an adjunct professor of nursing, and became an addict after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. In Julie's current Act II of her life, she is an actress, playwright and spokesperson for Prison Performing Arts. She is an artist and co-owner of Altitude Video Production, which produces aerial cinematography for events, real estate and more. She recently did a talk at TEDxSt.Louis Women, and lives in Blue Springs, Missouri. There she is the secretary of the friendliest yacht club on the planet and sails a 52 year old sailboat with her wife.

In a time of global strife, staying in touch with one’s own humanity and the humanity of others becomes ever more important. Join Interim Director Amy L. Miller to discuss healthy ways to communicate with each other, celebrate our differences, and be in community.

Recent research has shown that most stars have planetary systems, and that a non-negligible fraction of those planets are likely to be in the so-called “habitable zone,” where life may be possible. This makes the old question of “Are we alone?” more pressing: Does life exist elsewhere in the universe, and if so, is some of that life “intelligent” and able to communicate or otherwise interact with us? I discuss various aspects of these questions, including the research on exoplanets, the possibility of space travel, UFO (recently renamed “UAP”) phenomena, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). I conclude with some thoughts about the ethical meaning of a “yes” or a “no” answer to the “Are we alone?” question.

Social media has become a large part of our everyday lives. As a society, we continue to devote an increasing amount of time to these online platforms, engaging with a wealth of information from our friends to celebrities, family members to politicians, cat videos to devastating world news. Increasing rates of social media use along with high rates of mental illness have led many researchers to begin examining how social media use and mental health may be related. Perhaps surprisingly, only a few consistent conclusions have been drawn in this area, leaving researchers and community members alike wondering if and how social media use may be affecting our mental health. This presentation will focus on a newly developed model of understanding social media use that categorizes social media behaviors into four broad patterns. Topics discussed will include an overview of what these four different patterns of social media behaviors are, how they have been observed to impact people’s emotions in the moment, and how they are shown to correlate with various components of psychological wellbeing.

The Pledge Campaign is the time of year when we dream about what the Ethical Society of St. Louis could be and do if we had all of our needs met, and strategize ways to meet those needs. We need strong roots to build a strong future. Now is the time to reinvest in the future of the Society and to imagine what we can create together. This Platform talk is offered in conjunction with President-elect Scott Wright’s Opening Words for this day, as we launch pledge season together.

Does the pursuit of morality come at a cost to personal well-being? Several conceptualizations of morality emphasize its role in regulating or sacrificing the pursuit of one’s own interests for the sake of others. This might imply that being and becoming more moral would be personally costly. In this talk, however, I present empirical evidence showing that 1) moral people tend to experience more happiness and meaning in life and that 2) people believe that becoming more moral would contribute positively to various aspects of their well-being. I will discuss the implications and limitations of this research in relation to the broader question of when morality and well-being are likely to go hand in hand and when they might come into conflict with one another.

What does it take to thrive in a world that is volatile and uncertain, unjust and unfair? How can you experience well-being in a world so full of suffering? Research in human development, potential, longevity, and learning indicate that thriving is a state of being that we can tap into throughout our day and across our lifetime — no matter what we face. In this talk, we will explore ten timely and timeless "whole life" practices that enable us to experience wholeness and well-being at every age and stage of life. These ten practices support us individually and collectively and they activate and align with humanist commitments and beliefs.

The New Year is a time of celebration and renewal and optimism. What does it mean to have a fresh start? How do we reset our relationships when there has been damage to connections? How can we show up for each other and ourselves in a different and better way in the coming year? What are our hopes and dreams for the new year?

In Gabe's own words, they say, "The writer Gregory Orr believes, 'Poetry is about survival first of all. Survival of the individual self, survival of the emotional life.' It is my belief and experience that Orr’s statement applies to most creative pursuits, including various modalities of art and self-expression that have helped me move through and beyond the traumatic events of my early life. Our own creativity has the unique gift of helping us process the unrelenting amount of information we’re exposed to, including the overwhelming, painful, and traumatic memories that can threaten to undo us. 'Self-Expression as Survival' de-emphasizes the importance of identifying as an artist, and instead focuses on the many ways creativity can combat the reality that trauma often renders us voiceless. It is not hyperbole to say that my exploration of photography, watercolor, performance art, sculpture, and, most importantly, writing memoir, saved my life. I learned to create order from chaos, make meaning from the mess, and transform something big and boundaryless into a work of art I could hold in my hands. To share our suffering in some way—trading off playing the role of artist and observer—is an important way forward." Gabe Montesanti

The Ugandan students and schools the Ethical Society supports are full of strength, resilience, and hope. Come learn about the recent developments at the Uganda Humanist Schools and leave inspired by the schools’ and students' promising futures. Note: The Ethical Society community currently supports 36 female high-school students with full boarding scholarships ($525/yr) and provides reusable menstrual supplies for all menstruating students in the primary and secondary schools. If you would like to make a donation to benefit the schools and you cannot attend the Platform, please contact Krystal White at krystalsnowhite@ gmail.com or Nancy Jelinek at njelinek@ethicalstl.org.

This performance experience features new and familiar music investigating the questions above and, hopefully, inspiring us to action in our St. Louis community. Enjoy music from the newest chapter of the international Justice Choir movement, Justice Choir STL. We are a radically inclusive community choir amplifying local justice movements through collaborative partnership performances. Led by Ethical Society of St. Louis Music Director Claire Minnis, this ensemble is open to all voices. If you have an interest in singing and a passion for justice, you belong here.

As a last minute fill in for an ill presenter, Amy talks from her book chapter on shame.

Scientists and engineers worldwide are devoted to helping find solutions to the negative effects of climate change. In this (largely nonscientific) presentation, Sophia will showcase some of those efforts. In short, there is "hope" -- and it may help to recognize -- we have done this before with other threats to our environment.

Our health status should not be predicated on our place of residence, but that is invariably the case across the country, and particularly true in St. Louis, where the life expectancy living in an inner-city ZIP code is 18 years lower than someone living in a ZIP code less than 10 miles away. There are many factors that have conspired to reduce the health status of Black Americans in the U.S. These include social and structural determinants of health, such as systemic racism and sociocultural barriers, which lead to inadequate social and built environments, inadequate information and knowledge, risk-promoting lifestyles, attitudes and behaviors, exposure to carcinogens, and diminished access to health care. The persistence of unconscionable disparities obligates systemic reform to improve the health of the African American community. Rebuilding our neighborhoods and schools, and eliminating intergenerational poverty would go a long way to improving the health of African Americans in St. Louis.

A rudimentary dive into compassion research unearthed this: "…While cynics may dismiss compassion as touchy-feely or irrational, scientists have started to map the biological basis of compassion, suggesting its deep evolutionary purpose. This research has shown that when we feel compassion, our heart rate slows down, we secrete the "bonding hormone" oxytocin, and regions of the brain linked to empathy, caregiving, and feelings of pleasure light up, which often results in our wanting to approach and care for other people…" (UC Berkley, "Greater Good Magazine") What could be more impactful on a community than a desire to approach and care for other people? The intentional cultivation of compassion is not only possible, but necessary. Historically, we may have troubled ourselves with any number of other endeavors, but in the turmoil of today, it becomes increasingly urgent that we focus on co-creating spaces where people feel seen, supported, and cared for. Compassion literally means "to suffer together," but I'd like the focus to be on "relieving suffering together."

White Americans can choose behaviors in our everyday lives to grow racial justice. It's especially vital for white people to engage in and with our families, through our social networks, in our neighborhoods, and at our jobs to make antiracism a daily living commitment. Meanwhile these are some of the hardest places to do so. We have real power in our relationships with other white people—and not enough of us have used it. We need to talk about why white people struggle with knowing what to do about racism, and the significance of emotions like grief and anger (as well as the harmful role of shame) in reckoning with the transformation our communities need to become the partners in justice that Black communities and other communities need and deserve. Not only is such transformation vital to the well-being of U.S. democracy, it's vital to the freedom and wholeness of white people too. Rev. Dr. Jennifer Harvey is a writer and educator long engaged in racial justice and white antiracism. Her books include the New York Times bestseller Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in Racially Unjust America and Dear White Christians: For Those Still Longing for Racial Reconciliation. She has written for the New York Times and CNN, appeared on CNN's Town Hall on Racism with Sesame Street, and been heard on NPR's All Things Considered and "It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders." After serving nearly 20 years at Drake University as a professor of religion, she recently became the vice president for Academic Affairs and academic dean at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. Dr. Harvey is ordained in the American Baptist Churches (USA).