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Poem/Essay Contest Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 2020 POEM/ESSAY CONTEST African Americans and the Vote 2020’s theme for Black History Month is “African Americans and the Vote,” as it speaks to the ongoing struggle on the part of both black men and women throughout American History. One of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1957 speech, “Give Us the Ballot,” aimed at increasing voter registration and advocating voting rights for African Americans in the United States while addressing key changes that would result in African Americans regaining voting rights. POEM CONTEST (Grades 1-4 ) Write a poem about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and include the phrase “Give Us the Ballot” from his 1957 speech which supported voting rights for African Americans in the United States. Contest Rules: · Open to all Yonkers students in grades 1-4; one entry per student · All entries must include a cover page with the student’s name, grade level, school, home address and contact phone number · Winning poem will be displayed at Yonkers City Hall and posted online · One winner will be chosen from grades 1-4 · Winner will be selected to read their poem at the Yonkers’ Black History Month Celebration on February 27, 2020 at Yonkers City Hall ESSAY CONTEST (Grades 5-8 ) Submit a 2-page essay comparing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 vs. the voting changes of 2020. (Double spaced, 12pt font, Times New Roman) Contest Rules: · Open to all Yonkers students in grades 5-8; one entry per student · All entries must include a cover page with the student’s name, grade level, school, home address and contact phone number · Winning essay will be displayed at Yonkers City Hall and posted online · One winner will be chosen from grades 5-8 · Winner will be selected to read their essay at Yonkers’ Black History Month Celebration on February 27, 2020 Important Dates: Wednesday, January 15, 2020 Contest Opens Friday, February 14, 2020 Submissions Due Friday, February 21, 2020 Winners are notified Thursday, February 27, 2020 Winners will present their poem, essay or video at the City of Yonkers Black History Month Celebration, City Hall Ceremonial Courtroom (4th Fl), 6:00PM-7:00PM Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 2020 POEM/ESSAY CONTEST COVER PAGE: Student’s Name: Home Address: Home Phone: School: Grade: Class/Teacher: INSTRUCTIONS: Attach your poem/essay along with this cover page or submit via email to [email protected] by Friday, February 14, 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. VIDEO CONTEST 2020 VIDEO CONTEST (Grades 9-12 ) Submit a video which depicts how the advancement of voting has affected society as a whole. In addition, similar to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1957 speech “Give Us the Ballot,” incorporate 2-3 individuals who have embodied the advancement of voting rights. Contest Rules: • Open to all Yonkers students in grades 9 – 12; one entry per student • All entries must include a cover page with the student’s name, grade level, school, home address and contact phone number • Upload the video to a cloud platform (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) and email the URL with the Cover Page to [email protected] or save the video to a storage device and deliver it to the Mayor’s Office at Yonkers City Hall (40 South Broadway, 2nd Floor) • Video format should be in MP4 or MOV • Videos cannot exceed three minutes in length • Winning videos will be displayed at Yonkers City Hall and posted Online • One winner will be chosen from grades 9-12 • Winner will be selected to present their video at the Yonkers’ Black History Month Celebration on February 27, 2020 Important Dates: Wednesday, January 15, 2020 Contest Opens Friday, February 14, 2020 Submissions Due Friday, February 21, 2020 Winners are notified Thursday, February 27, 2020 Winners will present their poem, essay or video at the City of Yonkers Black History Month Celebration, City Hall Ceremonial Courtroom (4th Fl), 6:00PM-7:00PM Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. VIDEO CONTEST 2020 COVER PAGE: Student’s Name: Home Address: Home Phone: School: Grade: Class/Teacher: Video URL: INSTRUCTIONS: Email submssion to [email protected] by Friday, February 14, 2020.
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