FFRF has awarded $35,000 in First in the Family Humanist Forward Freethought scholarships to eight students, thanks to the incredible generosity of FFRF benefactor Lance Bredvold. The students were selected by Black Skeptics Los Angeles (BSLA), an African American humanist-atheist-based organization.
BSLA is the first secular humanist atheist organization to specifically address college pipelining for youth of color through its ongoing scholarship and college and K-12 youth leadership partnerships. FFRF has proudly partnered with BSLA for 11 years to provide tuition grants, gradually increasing the funding and number of scholarships.
The following are the 2024 First in the Family Forward Freethought scholarship winners.
· Rubi Alvarez, UCLA, $2,500.
· Denim Fisher, Spelman College, $2,500.
· Jahliyah Johnson, UC Riverside, $5,000.
· Xavier Johnson, Florida State University, $5,000.
· Gabrielle LaCourse, University of Southern Maine, $5,000.
· Alvaro Molina, University of Kentucky, $5,000.
· Pierce Smallwood, California Polytechnic State University, $5,000.
· Dulcinea Villareal, University of Washington, $5,000.
FFRF member Lance Bredvold, who is not wealthy but is very generous, suggested the Forward Freethought College Fund, a needs-based tuition scholarship, and has contributed the bulk of the $200,000-plus received to date. Since 2018, more than $100,000 has been disbursed to help freethinking students who might not otherwise be able to attend college.
Those who would like to donate toward the Forward Freethought Fund, a needs-based scholarship dedicated to helping freethinking students who might otherwise be unable to attend college, may designate “tuition scholarships” in the ffrf.org/donate dropdown or earmark checks for “Forward Freethought Fund” or “tuition scholarships.” All donations to FFRF remain deductible for income-tax purposes.
“This initiative helps those who are really in need and are the generational vanguard of freethinkers,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “All the contributions we receive assist a truly worthy cause.”
More detailed bios and short essays by the winning students will appear in the upcoming October issue of Freethought Today, FFRF’s lively (almost) monthly paper. https://www.freethoughttoday.com/
Here are excerpts from this year’s winning essays.
Rubi Alvarez
“The question I often pose to those who wonder how I can be moral without a belief in God is this: If the fear of hell is the only thing motivating your goodness, then is your goodness truly genuine? Being a good person should come from a place of empathy and understanding, not fear.
Secular humanism encourages us to take action based on reason and compassion rather than dogma. It calls for us to recognize our shared humanity and to work together to create a more just and equitable world. In addressing issues like transphobia, homophobia, classism, racism, and many others, it is crucial to engage with the underlying social and cultural factors that perpetuate discrimination. This means not only advocating for policy changes but also working to shift societal attitudes and beliefs. In my community, this has involved challenging harmful narratives and providing alternative perspectives that celebrate diversity and inclusivity. By fostering understanding and empathy, we can build a stronger, more cohesive society that values each individual for who they are.”
Denim Fisher
“I aim to contribute to a society where every individual is treated justly, regardless of their race, gender, or sexual orientation. Secular humanism posits that human beings, not deities, are responsible for creating social change.
Marginalized human beings can make a difference in promoting meaningful social change by realizing that we are the bearers of our freedom. When advocating for a cause, passion and education are significant. An advocate is present, listens to learn and not to respond, and asks questions. Being an advocate requires an ego adjustment. Many of us enter a space and assume that we can speak to something because we are emotionally invested and charged, but the work of an advocate/activist is to train the mind by educating oneself on not just feelings, but facts. Education is a lifelong task. To ensure that history does not repeat, we must revisit the past.”
Jahliyah Johnson
“Secular humanism can make a difference in creating social change by promoting that being kind and equal to one another as humans is something we should do not because of a moral code created by a god, but simply because we are all human. Theism often relates morality to belief, and I’ve heard many theists argue something to the effect of ‘if you don’t follow a god, how do you know right from wrong?’ This line of thinking is flawed because it assumes that humans are naturally amoral and cruel, and that assumption is fundamentally negative toward social growth and change because of the fact that it discourages kindness and understanding to others who do not subscribe to a certain belief system. Their humanity comes after their theism. Secular humanism focuses instead on a person’s humanity, no matter their religion, race, orientation, etc. This focus allows for meaningful change to be made because the mistreatment of our fellow human is condemned purely because it’s mistreatment of another human being.”
Xavier Johnson
“‘Yo momma’ jokes, a staple of school humor, weren’t my style. But one day, facing bullying because I was ‘different,’ I retaliated with a ‘Yo momma’ joke.
‘Well, yo momma’s so slow, she thought a hard drive was a rough road,’ I quipped, surprising them. This small victory made me feel empowered. Up until then, I found solace in my academic pursuits, but, in a moment of desperation, I was determined to stand up and confront my bullies. Surprisingly, the joke sparked their interest in my coding skills despite them initially shunning me due to my ‘difference.’ This led to the formation of Together We Build, a diverse group of individuals from all backgrounds, sexual orientations and beliefs, focused on Lego robotics, breaking down social barriers. Our camaraderie birthed the school’s first Lego robotics club. The club extended beyond STEM, serving as a platform for discussing topics like bullying prevention and academic success. It evolved into a supportive community, prioritizing personal growth alongside robotics. Empowered by this experience, I honed my wit, using humor to foster connections and advocate for myself. This shift in approach propelled my acceptance and growth and paved the way for a future enriched with innovation.”
Gabrielle LaCourse
“I’m an African American deaf woman who was adopted into a white Christian family. My family has allowed me to not participate in their beliefs and have allowed me to pursue my own, which I have appreciated. The bullying and misunderstanding of deafness have made me aware that society in my local area is not as educated as one would hope. I have multiple opportunities around me to spread awareness and I do it with compassion.
The bullying in middle school was by exclusion, which brought on depression, self-harm and thoughts of suicide. My mother and I decided to spend a lot of time at a barn riding horses. This really helped me realize that this time in my life didn’t mean it was the end of my world. I used it as a learning experience.
As a result, I learned to befriend the so-called outcasts and become a safe place for them. I’ve learned not to judge people by their looks. I get to know them and find out that they are truly human.”
Alvaro Molina
“After several years of analyzing why I am not religious, I have found that it is primarily because I do not believe that God, or any god in general, is responsible for everything that happens around me. I think concepts like the bible and Christianity, specifically, are based on self-contradictory arguments. The use of the existence of hell and heaven and the belief that God is watching our every action is nothing more than a tactic to control the masses through fear and suffering.
As a member of the LGBTQ-plus community and an undocumented immigrant in the United States, I have succeeded, graduating with honors from my high school despite the difficulties with English, and I am now a fluent speaker of the language. However, I can also speak to how ugly it feels to be judged by someone who is not like you and does not know your story. I have received racist comments and ridicule upon arriving in the United States, as well as whispers and mockery for being part of the LGBTQ-plus community. If we were more mindful of how our words hurt others, we could have a healthier and better-functioning society, all striving for equity.”
Pierce Smallwood
“During my time growing up in various religious institutions such as Baptist schools,
Catholic churches, and missionary programs, there was one factor of Christianity that led me to abandon my belief entirely: the self-righteous yet inconsistent attitudes and behaviors that many of its believers possess.
This isn’t to say that Christians and other nonsecular individuals simply decide to not to follow their religious disciplines perfectly, but especially in the West, modern Christianity has fueled some followers to deem others inferior and treat them as such, a completely backward attitude from what is taught in the bible. These mindsets played a strong role in building the United States and have imposed morally unjust and unfair treatment on its citizens, who are only now receiving the breadcrumbs of what they deserve.”
Dulcinea Villareal
“The main thing I try to do to instill these morals is accept everyone. But beyond that, I try to tell other people to accept everyone. In my town, there are a lot of conservatives with some very not nice things to say about queer people and those who aren’t Christian. It is a human right to belong, be loved, and not be alone. I always remind them that God said ‘love thy neighbor.’ I tie these values back to their religious texts because I want to remind them that they don’t get to just pick and choose what ideas they follow and what ones they don’t. I’ve always seen a lot of hypocrisy when it comes to choosing what is right and wrong based on words in a book rather than what you feel is the right thing to do as a human being.
I’ve always followed the idea that you can control your own life based on your religion, but you cannot control my life based on your religion. I live by the notion that under all the layers of what makes us individuals, there is a base — human.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 40,000 members across the country. Our purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
