Dale City, Va. — Prince William County students will compete in the 21st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Oratorical Contest at 11 a.m. Monday, January 17 at C.D. Hylton Memorial Chapel, 14640 Potomac Mills Road, Woodbridge.
Twenty-seven student orators (16 middle school and 11 high school students) will represent schools in Prince William, Manassas City, and Manassas Park. These students competed on January 6 for the honor to speak before the audience on January 17. Six students from Prince William County were chosen to speak; they are Jacob Gonzalez, Parkside Middle School; Hannah Wied, Pennington School; Jawuanna McAllister, Stonewall Middle School; Attiqua Sydea, Gar-Field High School; Alice Gyamfi, Hylton High School; and Seth Opoku-Yeboah, Osbourn Park High School. An additional middle school student and one high school student will receive the Judge’s Choice Award and will be announced at the program.
A writing contest was also held for fourth- and fifth-graders and the winners of that contest also will be honored at the program. This year’s winners are Emma Knox, Rockledge Elementary School, and Marisa Kiser, Signal Hill Elementary School.
This year’s theme is “Voices of Character and Courage.” The theme was taken from several of Dr. King’s speeches and writings. Also featured in the program is the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Choir.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration is sponsored by the Prince William County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Delta Educational and Public Service Foundation. The event is supported by a host of organizations, including The Cecil and Irene Hylton Foundation, Manassas City Public Schools and its Foundation, Manassas Park City Public Schools and its Foundation, Prince William County Public Schools, and many churches and private donors.
More than 2,000 people are expected to attend, making the event one of the largest King Day celebrations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
More than 2,000 people are expected to attend, making the event one of the largest King Day celebrations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
-Submitted by Prince William County Public Schools
