Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Xi Alpha Lambda Chapter and Ira Dorsey Scholarship Endowment Fund, Inc.

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1 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Xi Alpha Lambda Chapter and Ira Dorsey Scholarship Endowment Fund, Inc Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Contest Guidelines and Application Form Dear Friends, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Xi Alpha Lambda Prince William County Chapter and the Ira Dorsey Scholarship Endowment Fund, Inc. proudly present the Fourth Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Contest on Saturday, January 19, 2019 at the Waterford Springfield, 6715 Commerce Street, Springfield, VA This year the theme of the contest is Achieving the Dream. The contest, which recognizes the birthday and legacy of Dr. King, one of the most renowned Brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., is open to students in grades 9 through 12. Students interested in competing may register by completing the enclosed registration form, which includes a copy of the rules, requirements, and judging criteria. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us: Sidney Evans, (571) , SLEvans2@verizon.net; or Ron Atwater, (909) , atwaterr1@icloud.com. Contest Guidelines We invite students from DMV area high schools to participate by creating an original speech based on this year s theme. Three finalists will be selected. The finalists must deliver their speeches to a public audience, with minimal reference to notes, for the competition. Prior to the competition, the finalists will participate in preliminary speech reviews. Finalists will also be given an opportunity to receive coaching by an assigned mentor who will assist in strengthening speech content and honing presentation skills. All speeches must have original content and be no more than 1,000 words in length (8-10 minutes). On the day of the event, finalists will be expected to arrive at the Waterford at Springfield no later than 9:15 AM. A copy of the essay or speech, typed and double-spaced, must be presented to the Chief Judge upon arrival. A parent or guardian must accompany each finalist, and finalists are encouraged to extend invitations to members of their family, classmates, teachers, churches and friends. Finalists and two parents/guardians each will be admitted free of charge Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Contest 1

2 Essay Question: Dr. King s I Have A Dream speech, delivered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC on August 28, 1963 was selected by American Rhetoric as the best American political speech of the 20 th Century (Lucas & Medhurst, 2008). The speech was rich with both soaring metaphors and rich historical allusions. As he stood in the shadow of the sixteenth President s likeness, Dr. King paid homage to both the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address, but acknowledged that 100 years later, African Americans were still not free, finding themselves in exile in (their) own land. Dr. King spoke of much that was wrong, and continues to be wrong today in America, while challenging the nation to be true to its founding creed. He implored African Americans and all who were committed to justice to not despair, but to have faith that the American dream of equality would ultimately manifest itself. In the best-known passages of the speech, Dr. King closed by providing vivid imagery of his dream both a truly free America where freedom would ring from lofty places across the nation. The I Have A Dream speech can be viewed at and a transcript is available at Please review both, and consider the historical context in which Dr. King lived in the 1950s and 1960s, along with events that have occurred in the 50 years since Dr. King s death to address the following key points/questions in your speech: Describe the conditions in the United States and in the world that led Dr. King to challenge our Nation and world with his dream. Describe both the literal and metaphorical examples Dr. King used in the speech and explain how they remain relevant today. Over the 55 years since the speech, how close are we to making Dr. King s dream a reality: in what ways have we made progress, and in what ways have we regressed? As a young adult in and beyond, what can you and others of your generation do, both personally and collectively, to keep Dr. King s dream alive? Essay Criteria: The essay must be no more than 1,000 words in length, should be delivered in eight to ten minutes, and should contain the following: An introduction, which identifies the subject and contains an explanation of the writer s position. The objective is to demonstrate an understanding of the essay question and show that a response (position) has been formed. A body, which develops the argument from the writer s point of view. This part of the essay should clearly articulate the position of the writer and reasons for that position. A conclusion, which summarizes the essay and restates the writer s position Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Contest 2

3 Evaluation of Essays: The top three essay finalists will be selected from the field of applicants and required to present their essays competitively during the Fourth Annual MLK Oratorical Contest on January 19, 2019 at the Waterford Reception Center in Springfield, Virginia. Finalists will be evaluated by a panel of judges using the following criteria: Focus: Examines how well the essay responds to the various parts of the question. Organization: Looks at the structure of the essay and the strength of the position taken. Conclusions: Examines how well the essay is summarized and closing thoughts presented. Voice: Considers how well the essay engages the reader. Does the essay fully capture the reader s attention? Style and Mechanics: Examines how well the essay is written in terms of grammar, spelling, punctuation, word-use and sentence structure. Oral Presentation: Examines how well the orator presents his/her essay to an audience. Deadline for submission: A typed copy of the written speech and the Oratorical Contest entry form must be ed to MLKOratoricalContest@gmail.com no later than November 30, The entry form must be completed and signed by a parent or guardian. Contest Awards/Recognition: Upon completion of essay presentations at the MLK Oratorical Contest, the 1 st, 2 nd, and 3 rd place finalists will be selected by a panel of judges and given monetary awards valued at $500, $300, and $200 respectively. * Entry Form Below * 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Contest 3

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5 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Contestant Information Student s Name Parents /Guardians Name(s) School Age Grade Home Address City State Zip Code Telephone Number Parent s Signature Please your essay and the Contestant Information page to MLKOratoricalContest@gmail.com