FFRF has awarded $30,000 in First in the Family Humanist Forward Freethought scholarships to seven 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.
Bailee Morris, Georgia Guinnett College, $5,000
I am secular because I believe that the transformation for the better is done by human hands and minds and not religious groups or forces beyond. Rather than relying on prayer or tradition to solve the pressing issues in my community, I’ve come to believe in action working collectively to build structures, systems and opportunities that uplift everyone, especially the most marginalized. Humanism’s insistence that all human beings should be treated with dignity no matter their race, gender or origin is central to how I understand equity. I am most concerned with addressing the inequities that exist for Black youth in terms of education, access and exposure to STEM professions. These are not merely systemic problems, they are problems that involve human beings, and they must be solved by humans through solutions that engage compassion, justice and fairness.
Secular humanism allows me to pursue this calling with confidence: individuals need support systems, not sermons; they need access to opportunity, not pie-in-the-sky promises.
BSLA is the first secular humanist/atheist organization to specifically address college pipelining for youth of color through its ongoing scholarship, college and K-12 youth leadership partnerships. FFRF has proudly partnered with BSLA for 12 years to provide tuition grants, gradually increasing the funding and number of scholarships.
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.
The post First in the Family Forward Freethought Scholarship Awardee: Bailee Morris appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
