The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Contest is hosted by the Office of the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools. Beginning in September, we welcome students to participate in creating art, delivering speeches, and composing essays to honor the life and vision of Rev. Dr. MLK, Jr. With the support of a teacher/advisor from their campus, students can choose to participate in any or all of the contest categories that best showcases their unique talents and skills.
Our event culminates each year around the time of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend with an exhibition of the top student entries and awards ceremony to honor their hard work.
For more information, please explore the resources below and reach out to Ashley Henderson-Oehlschlaeger at ahenderson@fcoe.org.
2024 Theme & Resources
Forty Years Later: Reflecting on the Past, Pursuing a Future of Inclusivity and Solidarity
Upload Completed Permission Slips Here
2023-2024 Advisor & Participant Guidebook
THEME OVERVIEW
“By 1967, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his allies had won several hard-fought victories for the civil rights movement with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The movement, however, was far from over. Many debated the appropriate paths it should take and the methods it should use.” Dr. King considered these questions in his speech, titled “Where Do We Go From Here?” to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (billofrightsinstitute.org).
Fast forward in time, and we arrive in 2023 on the verge of the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Committee of the City of Fresno. This year, we are asking contestants to consider the same question posed by Dr. King, “Where do we go from here?”. While there have been undeniable victories on the civil rights’ front in recent decades, there is much work left to do. What have we learned from the past and what does it look like to actively pursue a future of inclusivity and solidarity?
Reference:
“Martin Luther King, Jr., Where Do We Go from Here?, 1967.” Bill of Rights Institute, billofrightsinstitute.org/activities/martin-luther-king-jr-where-do-we-go-from-here-1967. Accessed 28 Aug. 2023.