HHOMA inviting students to participate in art and essay contests to honor legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Essays and other creative entries due Nov. 15. Artwork due Nov. 16.

CHARLESTON, WV – Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs Executive Director Jill Upson announced today that West Virginia students across the state are invited to create various types of original works to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Essays | Music | Film

The Project on Racism contest is presented by the Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission and the YWCA Wheeling. The project accepts entries for essays, music, and five-minute films. The competition is open to any student from grades 1-12 attending public, private, parochial, or home school in West Virginia. Students under the age of 20 enrolled in a high school correspondence/Test Assessing Secondary Completion program in the state may also enter.

All entries must focus on the following quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”

Each entry must be accompanied by a completed contact information form and the original work. For the contact form, contest rules, and submission instructions, click here.

All entries in this category must be received on or before Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020. 

Poster Artwork

The Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission and the Beta Beta Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, are presenting the 37th annual Poster Competition.

West Virginia students from grades K-12 may enter the poster contest. The art must focus on the following quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

The original art may be created with pencil, crayon, pen and ink, watercolor, acrylic, serigraph woodblock, photography, or mixed media. The artist must explain the style and the selected media on the entry form, which must be taped to the back of the artwork. Entries without this information will be disqualified.

Submissions in this category must be postmarked on or before Monday, Nov. 16, 2020. Winning entries will be displayed in the Great Hall of the West Virginia State Culture Center.

For the contact form, contest rules, and submission instructions, click here.

For guidelines and entry forms for all the contests, visit the MLK Commission tab on HHOMA's website.