The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is accepting submissions for the third annual “Word from the Mountaintop” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Contest.
Local high school and two-year and four-year college students will have the opportunity to honor King’s legacy by reflecting on his words and connecting his message to issues facing the nation in the 21st century.
The quote for this year’s competition derives from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s last book, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” The purpose of the assigned topic is to test the speaker’s knowledge of the subject, the extent of his or her research, and the ability to respond to the question as it relates to the basic principles of King’s message.
The top three written speeches from each division, both high school and college, will be ranked as finalists, and their writers will be invited to participate in the oratorical portion of the competition. Prizes will be awarded to all finalists, and a $200 cash grand prize will be given to the overall winner from each division at the finalist competition, which will be held Saturday, Jan. 25.
The deadline to submit speeches is Monday, Jan. 6, by 5 p.m. Speeches can also be submitted electronically to inclusion@uab.edu with the subject line: 2020 MLK Speech.
For more information, please visit www.uab.edu/dei.