CU Hosts Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Monday, February 26, Student-winners to Be Recognized

Athens, W.Va. – Concord University will be hosting a celebration to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Monday, February 26, 7 p.m., in the Main Theater of the Alexander Fine Arts Center. The winners of the University division of this year's essay contest will present excerpts from their essays, and the keynote address will be provided by James Tolbert, president, West Virginia State Conference of Branches, NAACP.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs at Concord University recently held an essay competition in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. The competition was open to area high school, middle school and elementary school students, and it was designed to provide students with an opportunity to learn about Dr. King, his message and his work and to give students the opportunity to reflect on our present times and the future in light of Dr. King’s message. To prepare for the competition, students were to read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

First prize in the middle school division was awarded to Caitlin Hassan from Bluefield Middle School for her essay entitled “What has happened to human rights?” Second prize was awarded to Lauren White from Spanishburg School for her essay entitled “Immigration.” There were 40 entries in this division from three schools, Bluefield Middle, Princeton Middle and Spanishburg School. The judge for this division was Dr. David Bard, professor of history, emeritus, at Concord University.

Elementary school students were to create a poster or write a slogan which captured the essence of Dr. King’s accomplishments or vision of equality for all. First prize for the best poster was awarded to Amanda Conner from Mercer Elementary School. Amanda’s teacher is Mrs. Marshall. Second prize for the poster contest was awarded to Aaron Wade from Athens School. Aaron’s teacher is Mrs. Aldridge.

First prize for the slogan contest was awarded to James Reed from Ceres Elementary for “Unslave to Save! We Now Share The World!” James’ teacher is Mrs. Blankenship. Second prize in the slogan contest was awarded to Emily Davis from Athens School for her entry “Peace Comes First!” Her teacher is Mrs. Aldridge.

A competition was also held on the university level with Kevin Smith of Beckley taking first prize which was a $1,000 scholarship. Second prize of a $500 scholarship was awarded to James Bragg from Hinton.

“I hope all participants learned more about Dr. King, his life and his work,” commented Nancy Ellison, director of multicultural affairs at Concord.

The Martin Luther King, Jr., celebration is open to the public, and there is no charge for attendance.

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CONCORD UNIVERSITY NOTES: Persons with disabilities should contact Nancy Ellison, 1-304-384-6086 or 1-800-344-6679, extension 6086 if special assistance or help is required for access to an event scheduled by the University on campus.