Warner Norcross + Judd LLP announced the winners of the 19th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Legacy Contest.
Open to all sixth graders in the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, the contest encourages students to identify and react to a social justice issue that is meaningful to them. The contest allows submissions in any format; entries included essay, poem, stop-action video, painting, drawing, song and PowerPoint presentations, among others.
This year’s winners are:
- Jeanne Uwase, Grand Rapids Montessori Academy – first place for “Ode to Peace, My Dad and M.L.K.,” an essay reflecting on the racism her father experiences at work because he is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Madison Sheets, Riverside Middle School – second place for “Our Lives, Our Bodies,” a letter to Dr. King focusing on the negative effects of bullying on body image and race.
- Malachi Gamble, Center for Economicology – third place for “Equal Rights for All,” a drawing inspired by Dr. King that shows how people have to fight for equal rights.
An additional 29 students received honorable mentions. They attend Aberdeen Academy, Blandford School, Burton Middle School, C.A. Frost Environmental Science Academy, Center for Economicology, Dickinson Academy, Gerald R. Ford Academic Center, Grand Rapids Montessori Academy, Harrison Park Academy, North Park Montessori Academy, Riverside Middle School and Westwood Middle School.
The goal of the contest is to encourage students to think about how King’s legacy of peace and justice applies to the world in which they live. The submissions were evaluated by 50 Warner firm members on the basis of connection to the contest theme, personal connection, message and overall impact.
All winning and honorable mention students and their parents are invited to attend the 38th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Commemoration at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15 at Fountain Street Church, 24 Fountain St. NE.
The winners and their families received four tickets to see “To Kill a Mockingbird” compliments of Broadway Grand Rapids. The first-place winner of this year’s competition will receive an Apple iPad, the second-place winner will receive an Amazon Fire Tablet and the third-place winner will receive a $100 gift card to We are LIT! Multicultural Bookshop.
Each student who earned an honorable mention will receive a $25 gift card to We are LIT! Multicultural Bookshop. All other participants will receive a personalized certificate of completion.
About Warner
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