History

Freethought Day commemorates a decision that took place over 300 years ago in Massachusetts. Activists venerating the decision instituted what has evolved into an annual outdoor observance in Sacramento, California.

History of Freethought Day

October 12 — One Step Forward

Over 300 years ago, on October 12, 1692, Governor William Phipps of the Colony of Massachusetts made a decision that brought to an end the horrendous Salem Witch trials.

A Christian, nevertheless he declared that spectral evidence (supernaturalism) would no longer be admissible in court, and so the trials, due to lack of appropriate evidence, came to an end. The governor’s decision was a distinct departure from the general community’s extant thinking and a giant step on the path toward the principle of legal neutrality that would, when the United States incorporated into its brand new Constitution a Bill of Rights, assure each U.S. citizen the freedom to follow his/her conscience regarding matters of ultimate belief.

In our increasingly pluralistic nation of today, the Freethought Day Celebration of Reason and Church/State Separation serves as a reminder that our courts and public institutions should be places of fairness and justice for everyone.

Freethought Day in Sacramento

1999 - 2001
The concept of an October “Freethought Week” is employed during three seasons of joint campus outreach by Atheists and Other Freethinkers and Humanist Association of the Greater Sacramento Area at California State University-Sacramento. To interest the students, outreach coordinator Mynga Futrell duplicates as part of the tabling materials “A Freethought Day Proclamation” she has obtained from the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Oct. 12, 2002
First “Freethought Day” gathering takes place at the Sacramento County Courthouse and features reading of the Proclamation. There is singing of “Die Gedanken Sind Frei” and, along with remarks from several local speakers, commentary from invited speakers Bobbie Kirkhart, President of the Atheist Alliance International (Los Angeles), and Henda Lea, Coordinator of the Bay Area Communities of Reason (Hayward). Mynga Futrell and Jerry Sloan coordinate the event.

Oct. 12, 2003
Second public celebration is in Old Town Sacramento’s Waterfront Park. This year’s event introduces a pictorial gallery of nine independent thinkers, and the program centers around an assortment of mini-speeches featuring thirteen additional notables for their independence of thought and/or contributions to human progress. Displays include “A Freethinker’s Bookshelf.” Mynga Futrell chairs the event, with assistance from a 5-member committee.

Oct. 10, 2004
Sacramentans return to Old Town for the third annual celebration. Additions include: two freethinkers for the pictorial gallery, live musical entertainment, a banned books display, and a voting assistance table with a new banner (Learn/Think/Vote). Reading of a revised proclamation (endorsed by Sacramento’s mayor) with singing of the freethought anthem (Die Gedanken Sind Frei) are becoming a tradition for the event. Darrell Lambert (atheist boy scout) is featured speaker, and atheist Mike Newdow is featured entertainer. Beverly Church chairs a 6-member committee.

Oct. 9, 2005
At the fourth annual celebration, Waterfront Park was festooned with a huge painting by the featured presenter, Joel Pelletier, who also contributed to the live musical entertainment. Back once again were items fast becoming event traditions: book displays, voter registration, reading of the proclamation (again endorsed by the mayor), and singing of the freethought anthem. A magician and ventriloquist were on hand to entertain this time, and there were educational displays for the youngsters, along with a preview of the Camp Quest West coming summer, 2006. The event concluded with a "Reason Revival" skit to emphasize the theme of "Stand Up for Reason."

2006
The fifth year in Sacramento employed "Embrace Reality" as the theme and had displays of fossils and "real(ity) rocks." Traditional features continued, and Camp Quest West added a valuable new feature - its sponsoring of a jump house. This drew in more observers from the streets of Old Town. The founding director of the Secular Coalition for America spoke to the crowd, and the first African American freethinker was added to the Gallery. As no copyright-free image of Butterfly McQueen could be located, the Committee engaged local artist Lanna Seuret to produce an original rendering of the actress, who had become widely known for her role as Prissy in the movie, "Gone with the Wind."

2007
The sixth year's event focused on the theme "Reason & Act...Boldly." The inductee to the Gallery this year was original thinker and liberal social architect, Roger Williams. In introducing this Christian minister's contributions to current understanding of civic pluralism, the director of the Interfaith Religious Liberty Foundation showed how profound has been Williams' influence on the United States' governmental protections of liberty of conscience for citizens of all worldviews.

2008
The seventh year theme entreated participants to "Celebrate Our Secular Heritage!" and featured as speaker a young man whose understanding of that heritage was solid. Matt LaClair, ACLU "Youth Scholar," told the fascinating story of countering his teachers' classroom proselytizing, and George Orwell became the Gallery honoree. With City policy having suspended jump houses, Camp Quest West supplied a "wheel of science" that everyone could spin, not just children. Repositioning our Gallery streetside engaged more curious visitors in reading the brief portrayals of independent thinker contributions to human progress.