The Memes that Moved Us: Top Ten AHA Facebook Memes of 2016

The year is coming to an end and my, oh my, has 2016 ever been meme-worthy. From historical LGBTQ legislation, to devastating crimes fueled by race and hate, to the election of Donald Trump, 2016 has been a year of very high highs and some of our lowest lows. As the American Humanist Association’s social media coordinator, I, along with AHA’s communications and graphics team, work hard to produce highly sharable and likable images for our social media followers. We know that news often comes in the form of written stories with accompanying images, but that it can also be succinctly visual, and so we strive to deliver informative, inspiring, and every-once-in-a-while uplifting memes that represent the values of the AHA and what is important to you. While we have a few more memes in the pipeline for the remaining days of 2016, let’s look at some of the memes you loved the most this year.

What was your favorite AHA meme this year? Take our poll at the bottom of this post to tell us which one is your favorite.

1. Happy Birthday Neil!

Our most popular meme of 2016 was a very happy birthday wish to one of our favorite scientists, 2009 Isaac Asimov Science Award winner Neil DeGrasse Tyson, with 29,315 likes!

 

2. Coming in second place, the always sweet and romantic Charles Darwin valentine with 27,100 likes!

 

3. It’s clear our followers love science! Our number three spot goes to another one of our favorite scientists, Stephen Hawking! This happy birthday wish got him 24,324 likes!

 

4. Our church/state separation meme seemed more appropriate than ever for 2016. Recovering from the shock  of November 8th, we agreed to help President-elect Trump build THIS wall instead of that other one—you know, the one made from hate, ignorance, and Mexican money. Yes, our wall is much nicer. 21,705 likes.

 

5. President Barack Obama made more of an effort to include nontheists than any past president. He was the first to mention nonbelievers at an inauguration, and just last week, President Obama signed into law international religious protections that include atheists and humanists. 15,802 likes.

 

6. At number six, an event that devastated the LGBTQ community and shocked us all: the tragic shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida., Humanists will always be partners and allies of the LGBTQ community. 16,951 likes and loves for this one.

 

7. Mark Zuckerberg came in at number seven with his “Sounds Like Humanism” quote encouraging compassion and equality with 13,183 likes.

 

8. With 13,504 likes, President Obama is on the list again with another “Sounds Like Humanism” statement.

 

9. Champion of civil liberties. Defender of the US Constitution. Bullshit intolerant. Our Hero. Need I say more? Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg got 12,330 likes.

 

10. Coming in at number ten, we saluted Georgia for rejecting a “religious freedom” bill that would allow for discrimination against LGBTQ individuals. With 11,098 likes, it’s clear our followers agree.