10th place — 2026 First in the Family essay contest: Laila Coutou
FFRF awarded Laila $300.
By Laila Coutou
Christian nationalism is a political ideology that says there is no difference between being a Christian and being an American. It reinforces the idea that the United States of America was founded on Christian beliefs and values. Christian nationalism also has a long history of enforcing white supremacist ideals and implicitly treating white people as the “superior” citizens of America.
Throughout history, Christianity has been used to justify the genocide against the Indigenous peoples and has played a large role in the expansion of white victimhood. Christian nationalism began in this country centuries before its formation. Christopher Columbus, known as the person who “discovered” America, took over a land in which people were already living and created “a new kind of promised land.” This was justified by the claims that the people native to this land were “merciless savages.” This carried on with the Declaration of Independence, even using this phrase.
It is astounding how, even today, we still hear that the Native Americans were worshiping devils and fighting and killing each other before the white people came to this land. White supremacy is continuously fed by lies such as this because it ensures that white people are viewed as the perfect prototype. Maintaining this idea is a direct threat to the secular democracy because it places Christianity as the superior religion, immediately othering non-Christians.
The ideals of Christian nationalism and white supremacy also lean into a different definition of what it means to truly experience racism. Many white people not only believe that they experience racism, but also believe that they experience it more than Black people and all people of color. While some may argue that white people can experience racism as individuals, I disagree. Racism goes beyond just comments; it is a historical system that was set up by the people who founded this country. A white person could never truly face racial discrimination because racism is systemic.
As a Black and Brown woman who grew up in Florida, I was taught at a young age that no matter who I was inside, I would never be seen as equal to my white peers in the eyes of my white Christian church leaders and teachers. It is an idea that becomes ingrained in your nervous system that you are forced to work around throughout your entire life.
From the start, Christian nationalism and white supremacy have fought the ideals of freedom that America claims to have. From the genocide against the native people to the concept of “reverse racism,” the standards for both ideologies have been coalesced and implemented into the systems that we live under today. In my experience, I have found that it is vital to form your own ideals and standards for the “proper” way to live and exist. Though simple, it is a small personal rebellion against the biases this country was built on.
Laila, 20, attends New York University, where she is majoring in music business.
“Music has been a constant force in my life, and it’s the one field that has consistently challenged and inspired me,” Laila writes. “While I’ve explored a wide range of skills in academics and work, I’ve found my greatest focus in the music industry, a space where creativity and strategy intersect. Through my vocal studies, business coursework, songwriting, and detailed song analysis, I’ve developed both an artistic perspective and a curiosity for the work that happens behind the scenes. My ultimate goal is to open my own record label. I am a recent graduate of Valencia College, awarded with an Associate of Arts in Business Administration with a focus on music industry coursework.”
