Our next Atlanta Freethought Society meeting will feature Beatrice Ford Brown on “The Scandalous Paradox of a Black Atheist.”
As a way to better understand the dynamics of strong, healthy communities, Beatrice Ford Brown embarked upon a learning experience over 30 years ago that would grow into “one of the most fascinating fields,” according to her, and one in which she has helped hundreds of organizations, teams and individuals be more productive, creative and inclusive.
As a biochemist and medical researcher in the field of cancer diagnostics, Beatrice traveled nationally and internationally teaching state-of-the art diagnostic, and biotechnology practices. It was from this environment that she began to realize the importance of cross-cultural competence as a necessary skill set within the scientific community.
She is a certified facilitator with the National Coalition Building Institute of Washington, D.C., with expertise in leadership development, enhancing cultural competence across group identities, and train-the-trainer for peer groups. She has mediated conflicts with church groups who were challenged with decisions of accepting LGBT members. She has been instrumental in conducting difficult conversations between parents and teens who were “coming out” as gay or lesbian.
Beatrice is an affiliate at the Intercultural Communication Institute in Portland, Oregon. ICI is a non-profit organization whose aim is to foster an awareness of cultural differences in the US as well as around the world.
Her expertise includes facilitation, mediation, interactive learning, training games and simulations, and controversial issues process.
As a consultant, her partial client list includes Tucson Unified School District, Boeing Aircraft Group, University of Arizona Graduate School of Business, Galen University Veterinary Medical School, Belize, Central America, Saint Joseph’s College, Belize, Central America, Eureka- Sweden, Stockholm, Sweden, University of Liverpool, UK, Tucson Police Department, Tucson, Arizona and Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles, CA, NTSB (National Traffic Safety Board), Tohono O’odom Indian Tribe, Tucson, Arizona.
She co-founded the Anti-Hate Crimes Task Force of Pima County and initially worked with State Attorney General Grant Woods and later with Attorney General Janet Napolitano to successfully pass the Hate Crimes bill in the state of Arizona.
Beatrice holds a BFA in fashion and design, BS in Biochemistry, and a Ph.D in Immunology, Cell Pathology and DNA repair.
We will have a potluck lunch at noon for socializing, and then the talk starts at 1:00. The facility is wheelchair accessible. Atlanta Freethought Hall is a former Primitive Baptist Church, built in 1865. Atlanta Freethought Society was founded in 1985, which makes it one of Metro Atlanta’s oldest secular societies. AF Hall is the meeting place for Fellowship of Reason, Freedom of Religion Foundation of Atlanta, as well as other organizations. We rent the building at reasonable rates. If you would like to rent the hall for an organization meeting, a party, a wedding, etc., please see a Board Member.