Come Nov. 18, an estimated 35 students in grades 4-12 will present their essays to a panel of judges, in hopes of winning more than just money.
“This teaches them how to interact with other people, how to project themselves when they’re in public,” said Eugenia Priest, the founder of Second Baptist Church of Rochester’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical Contest. It’s a contest she began in 1988 after attending a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. service, and envisioned grade school students discussing Dr. King’s legacy and contributions.
“I look forward to it, and every time I say I’m going to stop, there’s always someone encouraging me, like a teacher, to continue. But sometimes you do get down because you think more people should be involved,” Priest told the New Pittsburgh Courier in an exclusive interview.
Each year around September and October, Beaver County schools, libraries and churches are notified about the contest. The contest is open to all Beaver County students, along with out-of-county students who attend a church within Beaver County. There are separate categories for Grades 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11, and 12. The winner of each category is awarded from $50 to $300. The contest averages 80-100 essays, but this year the number of entries was less.
“It’s not always the children,” Priest said. “If the parents think that sports is number one, like football or basketball, they cannot make a commitment for their kids to get involved in oratorical or attend the banquet until they know what their children’s (sports) schedule looks like.”
No matter the number of entries, Priest said the contest must go on, and it serves a purpose. “Some of the schools in Beaver County are predominantly-Black, some are predominantly-White, but this gives all the kids throughout Beaver County to intermingle with each other, and you’ll be surprised with how they get along.”
Second Baptist Church is located at 453 Irvin Ave., Rochester. It’s the location where many students will have their first opportunity to present their essays to an audience, come Nov. 18. For Priest, it’s amazing to watch the students in action, as she’s already read all of the essays that were entered into the contest prior to Nov. 18. “If people could really read all the different thoughts of these kids that do enter, it’s amazing how these kids are thinking. We laugh, cry and we have a good time reading them all,” she said.
The deadline for submitting entries has passed, but Priest told the Courier the judges—who come from a variety of backgrounds and professions throughout Beaver County—will select the first and second place winners on Nov. 18. The winners will present their essays at the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. banquet, to be held Jan. 14, 2018 at the VFW on Virginia Avenue, Rochester. More than 200 people are expected to attend, including Beaver County elected officials, who usually present the student winners with certificates.
“I’m determined to have young people there at the banquet,” Priest said. “I want young people to always be involved.”
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