The 16 annual oratory contest takes place at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, Downtown
HOUSTON ISD – Twelve HISD schools offer their best student speakers to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King through speech. The 16th Annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition takes place today from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the historic Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. The church is located at 500 Clay Avenue, in Downtown Houston. The inspirational message and well-honed delivery of these students has become a Holiday tradition in the city of Houston.
“Dr. King demonstrated that the power of the spoken word can have a profound effect on how we view our world” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. “It’s amazing to see how the long hours spent developing speeches and delivery style also has a wonderful and lasting effects on all the students who chose to participate. Good Luck!”
“Year after year, students offer insightful interpretations on the state of current events and their high hopes for the world in which they live today, just as Dr. King successfully demonstrated years ago,” said Claude Treece, Gardere operating partner and event chair, who has been actively involved with the competition since its inaugural year. “Not only does the oratory competition allow elementary students the opportunity to gain confidence and skills that will prove beneficial as they mature into adulthood, but it also gives them a voice to reflect on the dreams of the late civil rights leader in a way that is relatable to their peers and the community at large.”
During the month of October, early rounds of the competition were held at area schools. From those rounds 12 students were picked to compete in the final round. Those students and their schools are:
Myron Gillum Thompson ES
Kevin Kabanda Bruce ES
Santos Lopez Anderson ES
Matthias McBride Pleasantville ES
Eula Pearson Whidby ES
Dinochi Sandifer Windsor Village ES
Gabriel Seyoum Lockhart ES
Jennifer Soto Golfcrest ES
Annete Villegas Rodriguez ES
Samaya Watson Macgregor ES
Triniti West Dodson ES
Donovan Williams Cornelius ES
The speeches, not to exceed five minutes, will address the topic: “As a student of Dr. King’s life, what message of hope do you think he would have for the world today?” Students are judged on their delivery, stage presence and decorum, content interpretation, and memorization.
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