In his memoir Students on Strike, which documents the 1951 student-led protests at R. R. Moton School in Prince Edward County, John A. Stokes writes: “It is important for you to realize that you did not get where you are by yourselves. The best way to get an understanding of self is to know where you came from and where you are going.”
How does the past empower you? What event or person from the history motivates you to be a better person and a better citizen?
Divisions:
Elementary (Grades 4-5)
Middle (Grades 6-8)
High (Grades 9-12)
Awards:
First
• $500 prize
• Essay published in Richmond Times-Dispatch, TD.com, Library of Virginia Trailblazer portal
• Autographed copy of John Stokes’s book, Students on Strike
Second
• $100 prize
• Essay published on TD.com, Library of Virginia Trailblazer portal
• Autographed copy of John Stokes’s book, Students on Strike
Third
• $50 prize
• Essay published on TD.com, Library of Virginia Trailblazer portal
• Autographed copy of John Stokes’s book, Students on Strike
Timeline:
December 17, 2010 – Entries due
February 24, 2011 – Winners announced at the “African American Trailblazers in Virginia History” Award Ceremony at the Library of Virginia.
Directions for Submission:
Entries may be mailed or emailed, no later that, December 17, 2010, at 5:00 PM, to:
African American Trailblazers Essay Contest
Marketing Dept.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
PO Box 85333
Richmond, VA 23293
or
gmbx_rich_essays@timesdispatch.com
Contest Rules:
1. All entries must be original works that have not been published or submitted for publication anywhere else.
2. Entries must be received NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 17, 2010 at 5:00 PM.
3. No entry may be longer that 500 words.
4. Entries by contestants in the elementary category (grades 4-5) may be handwritten.
5. Entries by contestants in the middle and high categories must be typed.
6. The title of the work, and the name of the writer, should be centered at the top of the first page of the entry.
7. All pages must be numbered.
8. Entries will not be returned.
9. The Library of Virginia and the Richmond Times-Dispatch reserve the right to use the winners (grand prize, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places) names and entries for promotional purposes in all forms of media without notice, review, approval or compensation, except where prohibited by law. This includes the posting of submissions for public viewing and voting on the Internet.
10. Submissions will be evaluated for originality and adherence to the contest theme. Grammatical conventions must be observed.
11. Judging decisions are final.
More information here.
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