Essays
8th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest 2010
Open to 4-5th graders, middle and high school
Developing Relationships to Empower All Humanity…..What is the relationship between Dr. King’s work for freedom for all people and the election of President Barack Obama, an African American male?
In his famous I Have A Dream speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called for racial equality and an end to discrimination. Dr. King dreamed of a future where “black” and “white” people, “Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics” among others “will be able to join hands” and coexist in harmony as equals. Dr. King wanted to “transform…our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood” where “the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood,” work together, struggle together, and stand up for freedom together. Has Dr. King’s dream been fulfilled or is there more work to be done before we have equality for all?
Barack Obama stated at the 99th Annual Convention of the NAACP, July 14, 2008, that “…we all owe a debt to those who marched…and fought for us and stood up on our behalf; of the sacrifices that were made for us by those we never knew; and of the giants whose shoulders I stand on here today. They are the men and women we read about in history books…whose lives we honor with schools, boulevards and federal holidays that bear their names…I want to remind you tonight – on Youth Night…these giants, these icons of America’s past, were not much older than many of you when they took up freedom’s cause and made their mark on history.”
Essay Topic: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Barack Obama were both young men when they began their activist work. They saw social injustices and took steps to resist them. What are social injustices that you are noticing in your world and how will you resist them? Write 2-5 pages in the form of a dialog, a letter, a poem, or an essay.
Due Date: Entries are due by 5 pm on Friday, December 4th. Attach your essay to the form and mail or deliver to: Dr. King Contest, c/o Assistant Dean Mildred Trent, University of Illinois College of Education, Rm. 120, 1310 S. Sixth Street, Champaign 61820.
Award Ceremony: Awards will be presented during MLK community celebration, Saturday, January 23, 2010, 10 am – 1 pm, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
For Further Information: Mildred Trent, 333-2267 / 333-2800, mtrent1@illinois.edu; Download entry form here.