Opportunity Details

The FFRF David Hudak Memorial Essay Contest For Freethinking Black Indigenous and Students Of Color is open only to Black, Indigenous and Students of Color ages 17-21, who are either high school seniors graduating in spring who will be attending a North American College or university in the fall, or who are currently enrolled in a North American College or university. If you will be graduating from College in the spring or summer, you remain eligible to enter this contest. This contest is offered to provide support and acknowledgment for freethinking Black, Indigenous and Students of Color, as a minority within a minority. People of Color refers to all racial groups that are not white. Specifically, any person who is not considered white, including African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans and others. FFRF offers other essay contests open to all students in your age group. Students may only enter one FFRF contest annually.

Prompt: Please write a first-person essay explaining your personal journey to becoming a nonbeliever (or about your experiences as a lifelong nonbeliever), including any challenges you’ve faced and why you’re “glad to be godless.” Discuss the personal advantage to individuals to be free from religion. You may wish to analyze how the use of reason over faith can also be an advantage for BIPOC communities and for social policies. Essay must be between 350-500 words in length.