Norm Allen on Point of Inquiry

D.J. Grothe talks to Norm Allen about skepticism and black history in this Point of Inquiry podcast. Mr. Allen is the executive director of African Americans for Humanism, an organization concerned with fostering critical thinking, ethical conduct, church-state separation, and skepticism toward untested claims.

… Norm Allen discusses black history in the context of science and secularism. He talks about the Senegalese physicist Cheikh Anta Diop, and his humanistic views which were coupled with his science advocacy. He talks about Charles Drew, and his influence on setting up the first blood banks, as well as urban legends that have developed around him. He talks about the pseudoscience of supposed alternative medicine cures for AIDS, and their prominence in the black community. He talks about other black scientists and freethought figures, and defends the argument for the need for a “Black History Month.” He describes the need for skepticism in the black community, focusing on how the black media covers psychics and belief in prophecy, citing examples of Tony Brown and Montel Williams. He also details some of the current black leaders in the skeptical movement, recounting the first African skeptical conference that he attended last year in Senegal.