(January 13, 2020, Aiken, SC) — The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Celebration Steering Committee, in partnership with Aiken Technical College, the University of South Carolina Aiken, and Aiken County Public Schools is pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Essay and Creative Visual Posters contests.
Winners of this year’s contests were selected by representatives of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Celebration Steering Committee. Contest winners will be recognized during the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration scheduled for Sunday, January 26, 2020, at 3:00 p.m. in the USC Aiken Convocation Center.
The keynote address for the event will be delivered by Dr. Bobby Donaldson, a civilian rights scholar, historian and professor.
Kindergarten through fifth-grade students in Aiken County participated in the creative visual poster contest. Their original designs represented what the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday means to them.
The winning entries for the kindergarten to second grade category were submitted by the following students:
• First place: Ashanti Head, Jefferson Elementary School
• Second place: Adalyn Hammonds, Busbee Elementary School
• Third place: Ivanna Shaw-Tyler, Busbee Elementary School
Winning entries for the third to fifth grade category were submitted by the following students:
• First place: Ethan Jolley, Oakwood-Windsor Elementary School
• Second place: Britton Breazeale, Mossy Creek Elementary School
• Third place: Kennedi Kitchings, Busbee Elementary School
Students who participated in the sixth- through 12th-grade essay contest were asked to explain what a selected quote from Dr. King meant to them. The quote chosen by the members of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Steering Committee was: “What does it mean to stand up for what you believe is right?”
Middle school students' essays could not exceed 1,000 words, while the maximum word count for high school essays was 1,500 words.
Winning entries for Middle School were submitted by the following students:
• First place: Brenda Garrett, Jackson STEM Middle Magnet School
• Second place: Sofia Romero, Jackson STEM Middle Magnet School
• Third place: Mya Holston, Kennedy Middle School
Winning entries for High School were submitted by the following students:
• First place: Kimberly E. Morris, Aiken High School
• Second place: Kamora Johnson, North Augusta High School
• Third place: Anna Ewers, Mead Hall Episcopal School
All students in Aiken County, whether they attend a public or private school or are homeschooled, were eligible to participate in the contests.
The first-, second-, and third-place winners in each category and their families are invited to attend the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration where they will be seated in an area designated for honorees. The first place winner of each category will receive a grand prize.
Winning poster entries will be displayed during the community celebration. In addition, all submitted poster entries will be displayed during the month of February at the Center for African American History, Art and Culture, 120 York Street NE, Aiken. The center is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from noon to 4 p.m. and other times by appointment.
Aiken Technical College and USC Aiken serve as co-sponsors for the annual celebration.
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LINK TO ATC/USC AIKEN PRESS RELEASE: 2020 PR ATC USCA MLK POSTER ESSAY WINNERS