The Noyo Bida Truth Project, a nonprofit that aims to educate Mendocino County residents about the history of the name Fort Bragg, has announced a 2026 essay competition for Fort Bragg residents. Recipients could win from $500 to $1,000 in prize money.
The Noyo Bida Truth Project, formerly called Change Our Name Fort Bragg, is an organization that educates people on the connection that the city’s name has to Confederate Army Gen. Braxton Bragg, who was a Confederate general during the Civil War and a slaveowner.
The essay competition is open to Fort Bragg residents age 18 and older by May 1.
Participants in the contest have to answer to one of these prompts in their essays:
- Yes, the name Noyo Bida (the fishing place in Northern Pomo) should be returned to the city called Fort Bragg since 1889.
- No, the name Noyo Bida (the fishing place in Northern Pomo) should not be returned to the city called Fort Bragg since 1889.
According to the Noyo Bida Truth Project, the contest will be divided into two divisions. Applicants who write essays supporting the name change will compete only against others with similar viewpoints, and the same goes for those who write essays opposing the change.
The winners of the essay contest will receive $1,000. The second-place winners will receive $500. Since there are two separate divisions, the organization will be awarding a total of $3,000.
Some of the requirements for the essay are that it ranges from 1,000 to 1,500 words, includes research from at least two books from local libraries, and cannot be generated by artificial intelligence.
Essays should be emailed to thenoyobidatruthproject@gmail.com and are due by 5 p.m. on March 31. Winners will be announced in May.
For more information or to ask questions, people can go to the organization’s website.