Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Speech Contest

Honoring him with our voices

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and critically.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

We Energies has sponsored the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Speech Contest finals for the past 28 years. Through this program, the reading, writing and public speaking skills of more than 1,500 Milwaukee students have been strengthened as they learn about the hopes and dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Thank you to all who participated and congratulations to the 2011 speech contest winners.

Grades K – 2: Amillia Bell, Elm Creative Arts School
Grades 3 – 4: Kira Adkins, Congress Extended Year-Round School
Grades 5 – 6: Gwendolyn Wilks, Elm Creative Arts School
Grades 7 – 8: Timothy Leplae-Arthur, Eastbrook Academy
Grades 9 – 10: Donavon Nathaniel, Rufus King International Baccalaureate High School
Grades 11 – 12: Cheyenne Hankins, Ciera M. Travis Academy

Guidelines

• Open to K-12 students who live in the city of Milwaukee or attend any city of Milwaukee public, private, charter or home school.
• One speech entry per grade level category per school (Each school should establish a procedure to determine their entry for each grade level category)
• Speeches are to be written and delivered by the student speaker. Use of notes is optional.
• Speeches are timed and must be less than four minutes.
• Students must follow the theme, “Maintain Faith in the Future.”
  “…as we struggle to make racial and economic justice a reality, let us maintain faith in the future. We will confront difficulties and frustrating moments in the struggle to make justice a reality, but we must believe somehow that these problems can be solved." Address delivered in Bal Harbour, Florida, Dec. 11, 1961. A Testament of Hope, The Essential Writing and Speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. Edited by James M. Washington. HarperCollins Publishers (1986): p. 206.
• Student behavior should be attentive, courteous and supportive at all times.
• Speakers will be judged using the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Speech Contest Judging Criteria.

Awards ceremony

Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012

• First place winners from each grade level category deliver their speeches.
• All first, second and third place winners are recognized on stage during the speech contest award ceremony for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts.