Lecture: Democracy is My Religion with Fish Stark

Join us Tuesday September 15, 2026 for our guest speaker, Fish Stark, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association. Afterward, come along to Palace of India for dinner and conversation: 138 East Fulton St. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49503.

Humanism isn’t the opposite of faith – it’s the opposite of authoritarianism. Unitarian minister Curtis Reese, a co-founder of the American Humanist Association, referred to humanism as the “religion of democracy” for a reason – because of our radical belief that truth, morality, and power do not rightly reside in an external source, as theistic systems may claim, but in us. Fish Stark weaves together humanist history, philosophy, psychology, and theology to lay out a blueprint for how humanists can lean into the fight against authoritarianism feed our fire of commitment – and present a compelling vision for what we do believe rather than a negative vision of what we don’t. A rousing affirmation that we are not merely subjects of history, but its authors, the very higher power we have been searching for.


Fish Stark is an organizer, educator, social entrepreneur, and lifelong humanist. Fish has spent his career turning big ideas into bold action in service of belonging, flourishing, and social justice for all people.
Prior to joining the AHA as Executive Director, Fish was the Head of Program + Curriculum at Legends, an educational technology startup, where he led research and implementation teams to create products that helped children build self-confidence, positive mental health, and critical thinking skills.
Previously, Fish served as the Director of Programs at Peace First, a global nonprofit that provides training and funding to youth social justice activists, where he led a global team of organizers who empowered thousands of youth grantees in 140+ countries to make lasting change in their communities, and worked with organizations such as the Red Cross and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation to develop youth leadership programs.

Fish’s other professional experiences include managing progressive political campaigns, leading a mentorship program in the West Virginia coalfields with the American Friends Service Committee, building a nationally recognized peer-to-peer bullying prevention program, and teaching students from pre-school to high school.

A self-proclaimed developmental psychology nerd who is passionate about giving everyone the tools to live lives of meaning, service, and self-determination, Fish holds a Master’s in Education with a concentration in child development and psychology from Harvard University, and a Bachelor’s from Yale University with a certificate in Education Studies. While at Yale, Fish served as a student board member of the Yale Humanist Community and received a Dean’s Prize for his work to build a stronger relationship between Yale and New Haven.
Fish lives in Annapolis, Maryland, where he is President of the Speaker Mike Busch District 30 Democratic Club, is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, and serves on several nonprofit boards. He moonlights as an award-winning stand-up comedian and has performed in 13 states.

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