John McWorter and Richard Dawkins at the Scopes Trial Centennial

John McWorter

11 a.m., August 10, 2025

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we watch and discuss a video from the 2025 Scopes Trial Centennial Conference.

In this special session, evolutionary biologist and author Richard Dawkins presents the 2025 Richard Dawkins Award to John McWhorter, Columbia University linguist and New York Times columnist. The award honors individuals who champion reason, science, and secularism.

Following the award presentation, Dawkins and McWhorter engage in a thought-provoking on-stage conversation exploring the origin and evolution of language, touching on linguistics, human cognition, and the nature of communication itself.

The Scopes Trial Centennial Conference, co-hosted by the Center for Inquiry (CFI) and the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), commemorates the 100th anniversary of the famous 1925 “Monkey Trial,” a pivotal moment in American history that tested whether science or religious dogma would shape public education.

You can preview this 55-minute video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov-S1w_fU1Y

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This Sunday, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists in the Orchard Room at the Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, CA 94022. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation.

If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

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