Margaret Downey

Margaret Downey was born into a multicultural family in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Growing up in a highly prejudiced southern society in the 1950s, she became concerned about persecution at an early age and has since devoted her life to ending any and all discrimination against any and all peoples of the world.

She is the founder and President of The Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia (FSGP), the Anti-Discrimination Support Network (ADSN), and the Thomas Paine Memorial Committee. She is also editor and publisher of FSGP's bimonthly newsletter, The Greater Philadelphia Story, a newsletter written by and for the Atheist community which concentrates on activist issues, political and religious satire, separation of church and state, and the advancement of freethought.

Margaret is a past board member of the American Humanist Association. She is a current board member of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, The Humanist Institute, and The Thomas Paine National Historical Association. She is also an Advisory Board Member of the Robert Green Ingersoll Museum and the Atheist Alliance.

Margaret has been a guest speaker on National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation and Radio Times. She has also been featured on radio programs in Texas, South Carolina, California, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Georgia. Always willing to travel, Margaret accepts national and international speaking engagements. She is regularly featured at Atheist/Humanist conferences as a speaker and is well known for her fun-filled presentations which include visuals, door prizes, props, and well-prepared complimentary literature.