Marquita Tucker, M.B.A. is the Co-Organizer of the Black Nonbelievers of Detroit.
Here we talk about her life, work, and views.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What personal accomplishments make you most proud, as true achievements?
Marquita Tucker: The personal accomplishment that I am most proud of so far is being true to myself. It has taken a long time to respect and love myself. I am a single mother of four amazing children, I survived and left an abusive marriage. I am an awesome friend to those around me. I am working on my PhD, something that I never dreamed that I would be able to do. I am helping in my community through volunteering and fundraising. I am just so happy to be where I am now in life.
Jacobsen: Who have been the most outstanding and outspoken secular women in the last decade?
Tucker: For sure the person who comes to the top of my mind is one of my mentors Mandisa Thomas founder of Black Nonbelievers. I am so proud of her and in such admiration of her strength and perseverance. Also, Bridgett Crutchfield. She has helped me through so much and taught me how to not be afraid of anything especially not speaking my mind.
Jacobsen: What initiatives have worked to include secular women more in the public and institutional spaces of the secular communities and organizations? What ones have been abject failures?
Tucker: Women have had to take the charge of putting themselves out there in the forefront of secular organizations. There are no freebies and there are no handouts. I’m not that familiar with any initiatives that have failed but women, especially women of color, are nowhere near in the background of humanist or secular communities anymore.
Jacobsen: For secular women in the 2010s, what seems like the most significant achievement as a cohort or sub-demographic of the secular community?
Tucker: Just never backing down. Not allowing ourselves to be pushed back into the margins of the secular community. We have started our own organizations or taken leadership roles in existing organizations.
Jacobsen: Any recommended annual events, authors, speakers, or organizations?
Tucker: Well, this October, Women of Color Beyond Belief will be holding an event in Chicago, IL. This will be October 4, 5, 6. We will have talks on a variety of topics. Please come out and support. This is the website: https://wocbeyondbelief.com/.
Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Marquita.
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Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the Founder of In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal and In-Sight Publishing. He authored/co-authored some e-books, free or low-cost. If you want to contact Scott: Scott.D.Jacobsen@Gmail.com.
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Do not forget to look into our associates: Godless Mom, Nice Mangoes, Sandwalk, Brainstorm Podcast, Left at the Valley, Life, the Universe & Everything Else, The Reality Check, Bad Science Watch, British Columbia Humanist Association, Dying With Dignity Canada, Canadian Secular Alliance, and Centre for Inquiry Canada.
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Other Resources: Recovering From Religion.
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Photo by Timon Klauser on Unsplash