Local high school, two-year and four-year college students are invited to participate in the second annual “Word from the Mountaintop” Oratory Contest to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The contest is sponsored by the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Other partners include UAB Student Diversity and Multicultural Programs, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Urban Impact Inc., United Way of Central Alabama, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Birmingham Southern College, Jefferson State Community College, Samford University, and the City of Birmingham.
The competition offers students the opportunity to reflect on Dr. King’s words while connecting his message to issues facing the nation in the 21st century.
Drawing inspiration from his ‘Beyond Vietnam’ speech, participants are asked to answer the question “What would you say to encourage listeners to act to preserve the best in our U.S. democratic society?”
The top three written speeches from each division (high school and college) will be selected as finalists and invited to participate in the oratorical portion of the competition. Prizes will be awarded to all finalists, and a grand prize will be given to the overall winner from each division.
The deadline to submit speeches is Friday, Jan. 4, 2019, by 5:00 p.m. Click here for more information including contest rules, regulations, and the assigned quote.