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Hello Friend,

The Secular Coalition for America has been busy these past few weeks and we want to update you on some of what has been happening here.

In February, our 21 member organizations (yes, we are up to 21 organizations!) got together to update, network, and collaborate. It was great to hear from everyone about all the incredible work each of us is doing. It was motivating and inspiring.

In March, we had our first Lobby Day since 2019 (the pandemic and lack of staff working in-office stopped us from hosting the event in previous years), and we're so pleased to be back. During our Secular Evening Reception, we were thrilled that Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) could join us. Rep. Jamie Raskin was honored with the Secular Champion Award. While he was unable to attend our in-person event, he left us with a powerful speech that we've included in this email - take a look! Scott MacConomy, our Director of Policy and Government Affairs, wrote a great Heretic on the Hill about his experience during Lobby Day this year. If you want to learn more about our lobby days and see how you can join in the fun next time - click here.

Also, we are happy to announce the newest member of our SCA team. Nnenna Onwukwe has recently joined SCA as our Communications Associate. They have a background in English and Film and are eager to bring their creativity to SCA's team. Here is a message Nnenna has included for everyone:

"Hello, all! I'm so excited to join the Secular Coalition for America's team. Being able to start on the same week as our lobby day was an unbelievable experience; I witnessed the dynamic conversations that every person brought to the table when they spoke with various representatives. Being involved in the lobby day activities only fueled my desire to advocate for secular and non-religious rights and further defend the separation of religion and government in America. A little bit about me: I enjoy visiting local museum exhibits, trying out interesting board games, and going rock climbing. Most weekends, you can find me exploring new museum exhibits or art events in the DC Metropolitan area."

Welcome, Nnenna!

One future event we're planning is the House secular staff lunch on Capitol Hill. There, we'll meet with congressional staff and expand who we can work with on key secular issues.

We're looking forward to the year ahead and will keep you updated with what our team has been getting up to in the months to come. Thank you for all you do to support our efforts. It is greatly appreciated!

Steven

Steven Emmert

Executive Director