Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Speech Contest Application

1. Contact information
2. Verify and submit
3. Confirmation

Guidelines for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Speech Contest

• 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: “A Look to the Future.”
  “In order to look to the future, it is often necessary to get a clear picture of the past. In order to know where we are going, it is often necessary to see from whence we have come.”
  Please refer to the transcript of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s. speech at Highlander Folk School’s Twenty-fifth Anniversary Meeting in Monteagle, Tennessee, September 2, 1957.
  "A Look to the Future," Address Delivered at Highlander Folk School's Twenty-fifth Anniversary Meeting | The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute
• 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.

Application

All form fields required.

Application deadline

5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, 2026

Student

  = Required

 Grade level category is required. Grade level category (Entries limited to one student per grade level category per school.): K-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10 11-12  Student name is required. Student name:
 Student grade is required. Student grade: K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Student home phone:  --
Parent/guardian phone:  --
 Student email address is required. Student email address: A valid student email address is required.
 Parent/guardian email address is required. Parent/guardian email address: A valid parent/guardian email address is required.
 Student address is required. Student address:
 City is required. City:
 State is required. State:
 ZIP is required. ZIP: A valid ZIP Code is required.

School

 School name is required. School name:
 School address is required. School address:
 Principal approval is required. Principal approved: Yes
No
 MPS media release on file is required. MPS media release on file:
(If non-MPS student, you will be contacted for a copy of your school's media release) Yes
No

Teacher / coach / guardian

 Name is required. Name:
Phone:  --
 Email address is required. Email address: A valid email address is required.
By checking this box, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the contest rules. You must agree to the contest rules.

Contact

For answers to questions about the contest or application, contact: Gabriele Green
414-475-8820

MLK Speech Contest

2025 speech highlights (1:36 min.)

Please verify the information below is correct. If not, go back and make changes.

Student

Grade level category:

Student name:

Student grade:

Student phone:

Parent/guardian phone:

Student email:

Parent/guardian email:

Address:

School

School name:

School address:

Principal approved:

MPS Media Release:

Teacher / coach / guardian

Teacher / coach / guardian name:

Teacher / coach / guardian phone:

Teacher / coach / guardian email:

Thank you for your application.

What would you like to do next?

• Return to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Speech Contest page