Blog

North County Churches Uniting for Racial Harmony and Justice (NCCU) selected three Hazelwood School District students as winners in its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Contest.

They are Yujin Kim, a fifth grader at Barrington Elementary School, Mark Mitchell, a sixth grader at Hazelwood North Middle School and Marissa E. Tabor, an eighth grader at Hazelwood North Middle School. The winners were invited to read their oratories on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Terry M. Fischer Theatre on the campus of St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley.

Last month, NCCU announced the King oratory finalists. Four of the 11 finalists were District students – Barrington Elementary School fifth grade student Cameron Brooks, Kim, Mitchell and Tabor.

This year’s oratorical theme is Realizing the Dream Through Civic and Community Engagement. Starting with the elementary school winners, Kim, who attends fifth grade at Barrington Elementary School, read her piece – “Dr. King’s Dream Lives On in Me.”

“I was inspired by his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, particularly with his strong word choices; they pulled me into the speech,” she said.

After reading their oratories, the student winners received certificates from Dr. Rance Thomas, NCCU’s president. Other activities include an interpretive dance by Aaron “A-One” Reed, a well-known local dancer and teacher, gospel performances by North St. Louis County church choirs, a keynote speech delivered by Gilberto Pinela, host of the “Ahora San Luis” cable TV program, and Ben Golley, who recreated Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us