The heartbeat of the fight for religious freedom
Youth Activism
Overview
Across the nation, a new generation is fighting for church-state separation and equality in their schools and communities.
You don’t have to be an expert to be part of this movement.
No matter who you are or where you live, there is a place for you in the fight to protect everyone’s right to live as themselves and believe as they choose.
AU Student Contest
The Student Contest is Open!
AU’s annual essay and video contest for high school and college students is accepting video submissions until November 3, 2025. The essay contest is now closed.
The student contest encourages high school and college students to think about why religious freedom and church-state separation are important to them and their communities—and what they can do to protect it.
Voices
“I participated in the contest because religious freedom is under attack in the US, and I want to do what I can to stop that.” – Aahan Bajpai (he/him)
Voices
“I decided to participate in AU’s contest because as a queer media student, the first amendment is crucial in every potential career path I could take.” – Sabrina Harrison (they/them)
Youth Organizing Fellowship
Apply for the 2026-2027 fellowship in Spring 2026
The Youth Organizing Fellowship is a paid opportunity to grow as a leader, build power with a national cohort of youth organizers, and advocate for the separation of church and state and inclusive religious freedom, including the issues that depend on them like abortion access, LGBTQ+ rights, strong public schools and a functioning democracy.
Voices
Being part of the LGBTQ+ community, I know first-hand the importance of church state separation. I joined AU to learn ways to improve my leadership skills and ability to set goals while also achieving them with my community.” – Bryant Nguyen, Orlando, Fla. | he
Voices
I’m the daughter of two Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants, and I hope to support the fight for religious freedom using data-driven arguments to uplift policies benefitting historically marginalized communities.”–Ariana Khan, Canton, Mich. | she
Report a violation
Have your religious freedom rights been violated?
If you believe that your rights have been violated, we want to help. We have a totally confidential form you can complete to let us know what happened and we will reach back out about ways we may be able to help.
Here are examples of how your rights could be violated
Religion-based discrimination and service denials
- A government body or government-funded entity discriminates against you based on your religious beliefs
- A government official or government-funded entity uses religion to justify discriminating against you based on another protected characteristic, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity
- A private entity relies on its religious beliefs to argue that civil-rights laws don’t apply to it and that it can discriminate against you
- A government-funded or government-regulated entity refuses to provide a particular service to you because of its religious beliefs
- Unlawful discrimination and denials of service can occur in a wide variety of areas, including employment, education, healthcare, social services such as foster-care placement, and provision of services by businesses
Promotion of religion in the public schools
- Prayer at public-school graduations, assemblies, athletic contests, or other events
- Religious or religion-based instruction—such as teaching creationism or intelligent design—in public-school classes
- Proselytization or promotion of religion by school employees
- Graduations or other school events in houses of worship
- Bible distributions in public-school buildings
- Choir or music classes dominated by religious pieces
Public funding of religious activity or proselytization
- Public funding—including through vouchers—of schools that teach religion or require students to take part in religious activities
- Public funding of social-service providers that inject religion into their services or require service recipients to take part in religious activities
- Public funding of construction or repairs of houses of worship
- Favoritism of religious organizations in allocation of public funds
Improper opening prayer at meetings of govenmental bodies
- Discrimination based on religion in the selection of people to deliver opening invocations
- Proselytizing prayers
- Government officials coercing or pressuring audience members to take part in prayers
- Government officials delivering prayers themselves
Government-sponsored displays of religious texts or symbols
- Crosses
- Ten Commandments
- Religious holiday displays
- Holy books or verses from scripture
- A display is more likely to be found unconstitutional if it is newly erected or is predominantly religious
Religious coercion or favortism in the criminal justice system
- Requiring people in prison, on probation, or on parole to attend or reside in religious rehabilitation programs or halfway houses
- Treating minority religions less favorably in prisons
Examples of other violations
- Government-sponsored religious events
- Religious messages in communications by public employees
- Religious proselytization or coercion by public employers
- Promotion of religion in the military
- Requiring immigrants to take religious oaths as a condition of citizenship
Here are three things you can do right now
Youth Voices
I joined AU to advance policy that I know will be impactful, effective and needed for all, regardless of spiritual and/or religious beliefs. I’m grateful for the opportunity to build upon what I have learned as an activist and student in this position with AU as a youth organizing fellow.”
What youth activists have to say about church-state separation
You don't need to be an expert to make a difference.
At Americans United, we create spaces where everyone can learn, connect, and take action to protect our democracy. No matter who you are or where you live, there is a place for you at AU.
And we can’t wait to meet you.
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Join
Join Americans United
America needs a national recommitment to the separation of church and state. We the people must resurrect this founding principle and reject religious extremists’ attempts to destroy it.
Thank you for joining us in the fight to protect your right to live as yourself and believe as you choose.
A powerful alliance of Christian Nationalist groups, billionaires and politicians is trying to destroy our democracy by undermining church-state separation and declaring America a “Christian nation.”
As a member of Americans United, you will join people of faith as well as nonbelievers from across the country who care about equality, protecting marginalized communities, and ensuring freedom for people of all beliefs.
A donation of $35 or more includes your AU membership and a subscription to Church & State magazine. Tax-deductibility information will be included in your email receipt.
