Applications are no longer being accepted. Thank you for your interest.
Goal
Strengthen students’ reading, writing and public speaking skills while encouraging them to learn about and
support the dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Guidelines
- Open to K-12 students.
- 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 must be written and delivered by the student speaker. Use of notes is optional.
- Speeches are timed and must not exceed four minutes.
- Students must use the theme: "Working toward a world of peace."
There is no easy way to create a world where men and women can live together, where each has his own job and home and where
all children receive as much education as their minds can absorb. But if such a world is created in our lifetime, it will be
done in the United States by Negroes and white people of good will. It will be accomplished by persons who have the courage
to put an end to suffering by willingly suffering themselves rather than inflict suffering upon others. It will be done by
rejecting racism, materialism and violence that has characterized Western Civilization and especially by working toward a
world of brotherhood, cooperation and peace.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; A Time to Break Silence; 4 April 1967; New York City.
- Student behavior should be attentive, courteous and supportive at all times.
- Speakers are judged using the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Speech Contest Judging Criteria.
Virtual preliminaries
Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022
Sponsored by Milwaukee Public Schools
Grade-level category times (Only one entry per grade level category per school.)
| K-2 |
8:30 a.m. |
| 3-4 |
9:30 a.m. |
| 5-6 |
10:30 a.m. |
| 7-8 |
11:30 a.m. |
| 9-10 |
12:30 p.m. |
| 11-12 |
1:30 p.m. |
In-person finals
Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022
Sponsored by We Energies
Top five speakers from each grade level category qualify for finals.
We Energies Public Service Building Auditorium
231 W. Michigan St., Milwaukee
2021 speech highlights
(3:08 min)
2020 speech highlights
(3:03 min)
2019 speech highlights
(4:04 min)
