Editor’s Note: This month, “The Wall of Separation” blog will feature Q&A-style interviews with the four first-place winners of the 2025 AU Student Contest, which asked high school and college students to reflect on this two-part prompt: How and why do religious and/or nonreligious groups, on their own or together, advocate for the separation of church and state? How have they been successful, and what does their example mean for present and future advocacy for the separation of church and state? You can find all of the winning essays and videos here. Submissions do not necessarily reflect the views of Americans United.
Today’s conversation is with Nya Long of Frisco, Texas, who created the first-place high school video.
Long: I first learned about church-state separation in fifth grade, when we were learning about the Bill of Rights and the First Amendment. Ever since then, I’ve always thought that the idea of church-state separation was an integral part of our country, and I felt proud that it was included in our Bill of Rights. Over time, I’ve learned more about it through several different law classes I’ve taken at my school, exploring Supreme Court cases such as Engel V. Vitale and Lemon v. Kurtzman.
Long: The most effective way to communicate church-state separation is by teaching people about the Bill of Rights and cases involving the First Amendment. By showing people that there’s a precedent for church-state separation and demonstrating that our own Founding Fathers supported it, people will be able to recognize examples of church-state separation in real life and will be able to speak out against any injustices that involve it.
Long: I’ll remain involved in church-state separation advocacy by continuously learning about cases involving the separation of church and state, including both past and present.
For example, through my own research and through my government class, I’ve learned about Wisconsin V. Yoder and have explored the Free Exercise Clause and Establishment Clause. I also intend on keeping an eye on the news for any information regarding church-state separation, including actions by the federal government as well as my state government. Through this continued interest and involvement, I’ve learned about a federal judge’s order to remove the Ten Commandments posted in classrooms in many school districts, including my own.
Furthermore, if I see an injustice within my school or elsewhere regarding church-state separation, I’ll speak out against it and use what I know from those cases to explain our rights, therefore advocating for the separation of church and state.
You can watch Nya’s AU Student Contest video here.
