Washington Ethical Society

WES Members and friends reflect on finding what (not whom) they love in their lives.

Engagement with anti-racism and other social justice work often includes the experience of making mistakes & even worse, having them pointed out! How can we develop our muscle both to we hear criticism, & to we give it? Amanda will explore the idea  & reflect on how we learn together.

Playing on the history of the Labor Movement, how we got the 40 hour work week—and how it isn’t written in stone and could decrease again in a way that rethinks how we order society and our time.

Drawing on the work of the late philosopher, who as the grandson of the Social Gospel pioneer Walter Rauschenbusch, presents a secularized version of the Beloved Community, although he doesn’t use those words.

"Black. Female. Leader Reflections On Social Justice Work In Majority White Congregations," Stephanie Folarin. Discover what it takes to be an advocate for social justice education as a 6 foot, black, female, administrator, with dreadlocks in majority white independent schools. Stephanie will explore her own journey, while reflecting on the lessons it has for any majority white community seeking to support black leadership.

How do we build a culture in a community like ours--one that values communication and allows us to navigate conflict well? Amanda, joined by words from Jo London and Bob Pokorney, will reflect on WES' historical Relationship Building curriculum and the ways that work informs our unfolding culture.

Ethical Culture Leader in Training and artist Je Hooper will join Amanda and Melissa to tell the story of the broken truth that tells us we are loved...and help us find  the whole truth that completes the puzzle. Music from award-winning percussionist Tom Teasley.

Rachel is a freshly minted doctor, educator, advocate, and writer who has been shacking up with bipolar disorder since 2000. Rachel has worked in hospitals, in public school settings, and at universities to cultivate safe spaces where people can talk about the experience of mental illness and challenge stigma. With the support of her loving husband (whom she met at Youth of Ethical Societies! Awww!), family and friends, four pets, cheese, and an unconquerable sense of humor, Rachel lives with bipolar disorder but it is not her life.

Parenting can be...tedious. So can almost every aspect of "adulting." Getting up and going to work, sleeping for a bit and doing it all over again. Feeding and bathing the kids, on repeat. Cooking meals for yourself and doing the dishes...endlessly. Where's the FUN in it all? With an eye toward the "fun dad" model, Amanda explores how we can bring zest into daily life. Spoiler alert: being in the moment helps. Music from the WES Chorus.

Throughout history queerness – membership of a sexual or gender minority group – has been denigrated and demeaned. Queer people have been and continue to be subjected to social stigma and legal discrimination all around the world. Today in America, queer people increasingly enjoy legal equality and increased safety, but rarely are we celebrated for the positive contributions we have brought society. In this Platform, James Croft (who is gay himself) will explore how LGBTQIA+ people have, in enthusiastically embracing their own identities, thrown open the floodgates of sexual and gender experimentation for everyone.

As we begin our exploration of Zest, Amanda asks how we find it during a time that can feel overwhelming–whether it’s because of national politics or our own struggles. How do we reclaim the right to live boldly, joyfully, and lustily while also refusing to look away from the hard parts of life?

Founder’s Day: The Way We Were “Founder’s Day: The Way We Were” Cayo Gamber, Sera Morgan, Perry Saidman, Richard Nugent, and Amanda Poppei. Ten years ago, WES was in the midst of transition–a capital campaign, a building renovation, a Leader search. We look back at this moment in time and celebrate the leap of faith WES members took.

“Parenting to Transcend: Teaching, Protecting & Loving Black Bodies,” Monique Miles. We will continue to explore the theme of Embodiment with a emphasis on the black body. What does it mean to have a black body in current society? In particular, what does it mean to mother a black child? We will explore the lessons and tools that are critical to nurture, protect, love and transcend the structural and individual threats to the black body.

Come explore with us the risk of shutting down and shutting out others, and the risk we take when instead we open up to connections, relationship and vulnerability. This is what it means to be Human. Rev. Rachel Christensen is a UU minister from Orlando, Florida. She was Intern Minister at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando, preaching her last service on the morning of the Pulse tragedy last year.

Join us for this special presentation about the intersection of environmentalism and affordable housing. Khalil Shahyd’s work focuses on the Energy Efficiency for All Project, which aims to increase utility-funded energy efficiency programs in the affordable multifamily housing sector. He coordinates with National Resource Defense Council’s affordable housing partners to advocate for efficiency investments in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan. As part of the LEED Neighborhood Development initiative, Shahyd also promotes the expansion of “green” communities in New Orleans.

"Transforming Holidays" Amanda Poppei, Senior Leader. Throughout human history, holidays and holy days have offered a way to tell the story of transformation, to bring hope in difficult times. This weekend marks both the Jewish celebration of Passover, and the Christian celebration of Easter. But what about us? Amanda will reflect on the meaning of these and other holidays for humanists, and invite us to imagine how transformation acts in our own lives.

Felix Adler founded the Ethical Society on a concept of the Spiritual Ideal, with practical principles for achieving it, that is grounded in reason rather than the supernatural. Changing your worldview and having faith enough to use it in moments of uncertainty is the most difficult transformation a person can make.

April 2, 2017. “Tearing It All Down,” Amanda Poppei, Senior Leader. We live in a capitalist society, and there's nothing we can do about that. Or is there? In this auction platform, Amanda examines what would happen if we radically reimagined the way our society works. What would we envision for a world that was just for all? Come hear about capitalism, socialism, and anarchy!

March 19, 2017. "Money Makes the World Go Round (?)" Amanda Poppei, Senior Leader. Often when we think about risk our mind goes to the stock market...investments, risk and reward, high-yield bonds. But sometimes, even talking about money can feel like the biggest risk. Amanda will explore our complicated relationship with money, income, socioeconomic status, and more.

March 12, 2017. You won’t want to miss the WES Teens put on their annual platform as they explore the theme of risk from their own perspectives, and how it applies to their own lives as teenagers in the greater Washington DC area. The teens will also offer an opportunity for audience participation in a fun game show. Are you willing to risk it?