On Memorial Day weekend 2021, CSJO celebrated its 51st annual conference. Sadly, though, it was a virtual conference. Our theme was: Interconnections: Networking, Supporting and Growing Together. This allowed us to introduce similar organizations and groups to our members.

One of the speakers was Rebecca Markert, the Legal Director for Freedom from Religion Foundation (www.ffrf.org) talked to us about the need for separation of church and state and how Christian nationalism is such a threat to our democracy. Download Rebecca’s presentation.

Then Kevin Bolling, the executive director of the Secular Student Alliance (www.secularstudents.org) presented how his organization offers a safe community on campus for high school and college youth to gather with like-minded atheists, agnostics, freethinkers, humanists and others. Download Kevin's presentation and view a version of the presentation from the American Atheists' conference.

Liv Randall is the Community Engagement and Development Specialist at US Together (http://ustogether.us) in Cleveland (an affiliate of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS). Her presentation outlined how her organization helps refugees from all over the resettle in the greater Cleveland area. Download Liz's presentation.

CSJO’s own 16-year-old Rebecca Ireland discussed what and how activism is a key part of her young life and encouraged us to do the same. Download Rebecca's presentation.

Mark Tiborsky, a local Cleveland resident, gave us a presentation on how his group, Northern Ohio Freethought Society, a chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, used billboards and activism to counter the challenges of church and state separation.

The Board of CSJO is already making plans for an in-person conference in 2022. More information to follow.