Welcome, Debra!

The Humanity Project is very proud to welcome a new member to our distinguished Board of Directors. After taking part in our December board retreat and remaining engaged in our efforts, Debra Annane officially has been elected to join our work promoting equality and respect-for-all.

Debra brings with her an impressive resume as Program Officer of the Health Foundation of South Florida. An adjunct instructor at the University of Miami Department of Public Health Sciences, Ms. Annane is fully certified by Brown University as a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher. She has trained extensively in the Zen Buddhist tradition since 2005 and was ordained as an urban Zen priest in 2015. Ms. Annane has developed and facilitated numerous research protocols and mindfulness-based programs for improving health and health equity. Her work in public health engages underserved and at risk populations. Previously, Debra worked in the media including the Orlando Sentinel and Discovery Channel.

Beyond her obvious credentials, Debra Annane brings to us her warmth, wisdom and humor — and personal experience growing up in Jamaica and the United States as a multiracial and multicultural female. Her journey includes a hard-won reckoning with identity, migration, cultural constructs of race, stress, resilience, social justice and body-mind health.

We are excited to join forces with this talented woman as the Humanity Project moves well into our 17th year of existence. Much work remains in striving toward a community, a nation and a world that offer “Equality For Each, Respect For All.” Debra Annane can help us find new ways to advance those efforts.

Community and Corporate Responsibility -- With Thanks!

Today we applaud a caring and loyal friend of the Humanity Project — a friend celebrating their 100th birthday in 2022. We’re talking about our very good neighbors at State Farm. Yes, this is the centennial anniversary of that community-minded company’s founding. We are proud to call them one of our major sponsors.

And we hope you may want to listen to our new podcast with two wonderful representatives of State Farm: Jose Soto, Corporate Responsibility Analyst, and longtime State Farm agent Melba Ballard. You’ll hear a wide-ranging conversation about ways that this highly regarded corporation can help your community — and help you too. You’ll also learn that State Farm has just renewed their sponsorship of the Humanity Project with another generous grant, funding that allows us to provide our programs to both kids and adults for free. Thank you so much, State Farm! We can’t do it without you. Listen to the podcast.

One of State Farm’s annual efforts is called Neighborhood Assist. And this year, their program is bigger and better than ever. Anyone can submit an idea for a much-needed improvement in their community, with a real chance to win $25,000 to make it happen. Submit your pitch for whatever you feel is most needed locally — food for the homeless, maybe, or a community garden. Help for a school or care for the elderly. Find the details at www.neighborhoodassist.com.

Many many corporations talk about responsibility to the community. But State Farm is among the few that actually put their talk into action. We are deeply gratified to continue our long association with this quality company, which supports in tangible ways our work toward “Equality For Each, Respect For All.” We must say it again, then: Thank you, State Farm!

Wise Words From A Supporter

We are often touched and inspired by new friends of the Humanity Project. Students and teachers working in our programs. Folks at events stopping with genuine interest by our table. And people signing our Pledge for Humanity.

Recently, a friend named Teri left a comment with us after signing that pledge. We think it’s worth sharing with you. She wrote: “I know that this world of equality and respect for all is a world within our reach. Your message and that of the Humanity Project is a balm for the soul and one I am proud to support. Congratulations on all that you have accomplished as you celebrate your ‘Sweet 16’ anniversary!” – Teri, new signer of the Humanity Project Pledge for Humanity.

Thank you so much, Teri! All of us here are gratified and encouraged by your hopeful remarks. We work hard to promote “Equality For Each, Respect For All” … and to instill greater respect for the goodness and inherent value of humanity. We believe that every human being has an equal worth. Our efforts are directed toward helping both kids and adults to believe that as well, which of course includes a core faith in our own value as individuals. We hope that you may want to join our campaign by signing our Pledge for Humanity, as Teri did. This is what it says:

“As one hopeful member of the human race, I promise to make every reasonable effort to live up to these words each day. Accordingly, I pledge:

  • To treat every human being with respect for their inherent value – even when I disagree with their actions, words or beliefs.

  • To look beyond myself, striving toward a humanity where each human being feels equally valuable.

  • To understand that this effort benefits me by strengthening my own self-worth and forging a higher purpose for my daily life.”

You can sign that pledge here on our website. Visit the Pledge for Humanity page We hope to hear from you soon!

Our New Speakers Bureau

The Humanity Project has just launched our first speakers bureau. We hope you’ll explore the list of inspiring topics and impressive speakers — and bring one of us to your group soon. We can talk to your nonprofit, company, club or other organization. Or just to a group of your friends. And we’ll do it anywhere in the world in an online presentation. (If you’re in South Florida, we can come to you in person if you prefer, using Covid safety protocols.)

We have ten speakers as we launch the program, with more expected to join. For now, all our speakers are members of the Humanity Project Board of Directors or our Leadership Council. Each one is an expert on the topics they’ve chosen to offer the public. And what an exciting, diverse selection of topics it is, 19 of them to date. They include:

  • “Intersectional identity: black and gay”: What does it mean to identify with more than one social group? What are the problems and what is the promise for those who identify as both black and gay?

  • “Respect on the roads”: Respect for others is never more immediately urgent than when we are driving. A former investigative reporter on auto safety offers insights and practical tips for safe motoring.

  • “Gender inequality and gender violence”: What is gender inequality and how does it contribute to gender violence?

  • “Supporting your transgender child”: How can a parent offer a nurturing love to their transgender child?

  • “Trauma healing and self-love”: A trauma survivor explores what it means to move beyond the pain and find ways to love ourselves.

  • “Microagressions: A Primer for CEOs”: A longtime CEO explains how fellow executives can avoid microagressions — those often unintentional comments or actions that may be regarded as discriminatory toward a marginalized group such as a racial or ethnic minority.

  • “Religious equality”: An Islamic scholar’s perspective on the meaning of religious equality.

Our talks are lively, interactive and very uplifting. We hope you’ll check out the full list of speakers and topics on our new Speakers Bureau page. Visit the Speakers Bureau. It’s one more way the Humanity Project works each day toward “Equality For Each, Respect For All!”

Videos For The New Year

By the time you read this we’ll all be living in 2022 … or very near there anyway. So we wanted to suggest three videos that we love in an effort to start your new year with hope, joy and some music as well. We believe you’ll enjoy these, the first video created by the Humanity Project. The two others — well, you’ll see.

Then there’s this utterly charming video from Spain. We adore it!

And finally, we must share these amazing kids with you. The vid is fun, fast … and pretty darned incredible too.

Happy New Year, everyone! We hope you and those you care about are healthy, joyful and full of compassionate respect throughout the coming 12 months. As we say at the Humanity Project, “Equality For Each, Respect For All!”

For Kids & Community

Children’s Services Council of Broward County is a special friend of the Humanity Project. Today we thank them again, as so many times in the past. And we remind the community of their important work helping to improve life for kids and families.

CSC Broward is a tax-funded agency that supports programs and offers other assistance to make sure that children grow up to be healthy, educated, well-balanced human beings. What could be more important? Since 2008, Children’s Services Council of Broward County has consistently aided the work of the Humanity Project as we continue to teach kids about respect for each individual, about equality, about bullying and how to stop it. Our programs are proven effective — and we have 16 years of empirical results to show their effectiveness. CSC’s funding is a reflection of our work’s value in the local community.

We recently received another generous grant from Children’s Services Council of Broward County to build a new “Humanity Garden” at an elementary school. The garden project is part of our Humanity Club program, which works with young student leaders to help them understand and spread throughout their school the values of equality and respect. We are proud of this program — and grateful for the continued support from CSC Broward. We know that expanding the minds of children requires efforts that also connect with their hearts. Our Humanity Gardens are one important tool to do just that.

We hope you’ll visit the website of Children’s Services Council of Broward County. They play a vital role in the life of the South Florida community — and in the work of the Humanity Project. Thank you, CSC Broward!

Food, toys and families

We’ve got a new podcast you may enjoy — something special for the upcoming holiday season. And because we’d rather have you listen than read about it, we’ll keep this blog very brief.

It’s another delightful chat with our good friend, Jose Soto, Corporate Responsibility Analyst for State Farm. As you know, State Farm has sponsored the Humanity Project every year starting in 2008 — and that public-spirited company is the reason our acclaimed I Care program exists. You likely also know that State Farm is among the most generous and responsible companies in this nation. And so once more this holiday season, State Farm is helping out with food drives, toy drives and more. In our podcast you’ll also hear about ways that you can assist families in need during this season of giving. As always, big thanks to State Farm! Listen to the podcast.

One Child At A Time

At the Humanity Project, we believe in the individual. Humanity, afterall, is only a collection of individuals past, present and future. Our programs for both kids and adults focus on the value of every individual: “Equality For Each, Respect For All.”

Now we’re launching something new that gives more attention than ever to the individual. One child at a time. In November, the Humanity Project begins our own mentoring program, starting with two boys and one girl from Morrow Elementary School. Big thanks to our good friend, Guidance Counselor Mindy Nguyen, for helping us set this up. We view the mentoring as an expansion of our Humanity Club, which works intensively with young school leaders who in turn teach their classmates about respect-for-all, equality and antibullying. The three young kids chosen to begin our mentoring efforts each will partner with one member from the Humanity Project Board of Directors, connecting one-on-one weekly for special lessons focused on human values. We’ll teach these concepts wrapped up in games and discussions as well as through fun assignments in reading and writing. In this way, we advance their literacy skills as we help them better understand their own worth and the importance of other human beings.

So many children fell behind during this ongoing pandemic. Reading and writing are among the areas that especially suffered. We believe the Humanity Project can assist educators trying to make up this lost ground through our individual sessions. At the same time we further fulfill our mission by teaching a select group of kids “greater respect for the goodness and inherent value of humanity,” as our mission statement says. That includes helping them better appreciate their own value. To us, this seems an important new step forward as the Humanity Project turns 16-years-old in November. We hope to expand our mentoring program in the months and years ahead.

Fabled Lives

We want you to know about a special book, with 100% of royalties for the first two years going directly to the Humanity Project. That audiobook is called, “Fabled Lives: Simple Stories You Need For Living In A Complex World.” You’ll find it available on Apple Books, Walmart, Google Play, Barnes and Noble and nearly every other major seller of audio-only books. (Amazon/Audible does not sell books that are available only on audio.) Or you can just visit the Author’s Guild website of Robert Spencer Knotts, who wrote the fables and the original music that accompanies each story in this charming book: Visit the author’s website.

That author, of course, is also the founder and president of the Humanity Project, Bob Knotts. He wrote these dozen fables over a period of 14 years — and they are posted for free on this website: Visit our Fables page. One of them is even posted here in an audio version. Overwhelmingly, those fables are the most popular feature on the Humanity Project website, attracting hits daily from nations spread around the globe on six continents.

Now you can enjoy them all in a single new audiobook, produced and engineered by Matt Corey — an award-winning sound designer and a VP on the Humanity Project Board of Directors. The audiobook is professional quality and runs more than an hour long. You’ll find these morality tales written for an adult audience, or even older kids. Each carries a clear lesson as fables have for centuries, from Aesop on down. Enjoy them, pass them along to friends and family … and maybe give them a little thought as well. They are cleverly written but, yes, simple stories we all can use for living in this very very complex world of ours.

Stories From The LGBTQ Community - an event

The Humanity Project is co-hosting a big event on Sunday, November 14. If you’re in South Florida we hope you’ll join us and our friends from SAVE, co-hosts for “Open Dialogues: Stories from the LGBTQ community.” It will be a special night.

You’ll enjoy an evening of arts and a short documentary that features coming out stories from South Florida, a powerful film you probably won’t have seen anywhere else. The documentary was produced by the Art and Culture Center/Hollywood, in Hollywood, Florida, and directed by Freddy Rodriguez. (Watch a 90-second trailer of the film.) A discussion will follow the film — and then we’ll offer short theater pieces by members of Lesbian Thespians as well as vocal performances. The event is free but donations are welcome. Drinks and snacks will be available for purchase as well. Consistent with many other local theaters, we request that all guests are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (at least two weeks after final dose) and provide proof of vaccination; i.e. original vaccination card, copy of vaccination card, or picture of vaccination card. Masks are required to be worn, covering the mouth and nose, while inside the theater at all times regardless of vaccination status.

The event will coincide with the Humanity Project’s 16th birthday: we were founded on November 5, 2005. Our friends at SAVE have been around even longer, the oldest LGBTQ advocacy organization in South Florida. You can follow our Facebook event page, if you like: Follow us on Facebook. Or you can register for free on Eventbrite to make sure you reserve seats: Our Eventbrite page. Both the Humanity Project and SAVE believe in equality and respect for all human beings. That’s the theme of our November event — and we think you’ll find it both hopeful and inspiring. Join us.

  • Sunday, November 14, 6 — 8 p.m. at The Foundry at Wilton Theater Factory, 2306 North Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors, FL 33305

  • Free, but donations are welcomed (and will be evenly split between the Humanity Project and SAVE)

Back In The Classroom

We’ve persevered during a pandemic, keeping our work moving forward through programs, presentations and panel discussions at parks and libraries… sometimes virtually, sometimes in person as we deemed safe. Now the Humanity Project is back in the classroom, both virtually and in person. So far, our Humanity Club sessions are going well.

We’re working with 12 hand-picked student leaders at Pembroke Pines Charter Elementary School in Pembroke Pines, Florida. These are bright, engaged kids who want to make a difference in this challenged world. Our wonderful Humanity Project Board of Directors VP, Piper Spencer, is a teacher there, working for us in person to help our young folks understand the importance of “Equality For Each, Respect For All.” Other knowledgeable Board members offer virtual lessons during our one-hour sessions.

As always, we plan to involve the entire school in promoting respect — and stopping bullying. We’re also going to build another “Humanity Garden” as a place of rest and reflection and inspiration at this 700-student facility. We’ll tell you more about all that in the coming weeks … and our other efforts to contribute to a society where every human being feels valuable. For now, we want to thank Piper Spencer and Pembroke Pines Charter Elementary School. We’re very glad to get back inside the classroom.

Together, Toward Equality

The Humanity Project values our partnerships. We believe that working alongside likeminded organizations, corporations and individuals allows us to expand our reach … and accomplish much more. The wonderful community foundation, Our Fund Foundation, is a notable case in point.

Today, we thank Our Fund Foundation for their ongoing financial support — we were just awarded another generous grant by these caring folks. We are deeply grateful to Our Fund CEO David Jobin, as well as his staff including Mark and Obed … and their fine Board of Directors. And we are proud to say of both our Antibullying Through The Arts and Humanity Club programs, “This program was made possible by a grant from Our Fund Foundation, an LGBTQ community foundation.” Our Fund is the nation’s third largest LGBTQ foundation.

Their support was specifically awarded for our acclaimed antibullying programs, yes, but Our Fund recognizes that our work on behalf of equality for the LGBTQ population goes well beyond youth programming. On Monday, September 20, for example, the Humanity Project will offer a one-hour presentation as a sponsor of the Barry University Peace-In. The event is in recognition of the United Nations International Day of Peace. This presentation will include our founder’s overview of the Humanity Project philosophy promoting “Equality For Each, Respect For All”… and a discussion by Mandi Hawke of the Humanity Project Leadership Council about our efforts specifically on behalf of the LGBTQ community. In October, the Humanity Project will sponsor more events and presentations as part of National Coming Out Week. And we will hold two major events in November with both a special film and a theater piece on LGBTQ issues, working in partnership with the respected LGBTQ agency, SAVE. One of these events will be at The Foundry in Wilton Manors, Florida, the other event will be held a bit later in Miami-Dade County.

We work every day to instill greater respect for the goodness and inherent value of humanity, our stated mission. This means working with both kids and adults in classes and panels, presentations and seminars as well as through free materials offered on our three websites and nine social media pages. We try to inspire, to uplift, to remind everyone that each human being possesses an equal value and should be treated accordingly. That’s what the Humanity Project is all about … and we feel fortunate to have a partner in the Our Fund Foundation that shares this goal.

This website and all materials on it are copyrighted by the Humanity Project®.

(Fables and some music are copyrighted by the author, Robert Spencer Knotts.)

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