As Black History Month, February is a time to ingrain the accomplishments of African-Americans in the minds of the next generation. It is also a time to get them fully engaged in learning rather than simply observing.
Some members of that next generation were on display at in the City Hall in Jersey City on Thursday during the city’s 14th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Oratory Finals Competition. There, 12 city school students from grades three through eight recited one of the late civil rights leader’s writings or speeches within a 10-minute timeframe.
They looked to make an impression upon their teachers, their families, and more importantly, the four judges. Prizes were first, second and third place trophies or honorable mentions of a book of King’s famed speeches.
“I tried last year and this year I gave it my all, and I am happy with how it all turned out.” – Imani Robinson
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All received congratulations and had their pictures taken with Mayor Jerramiah Healy.
For Robinson, it was a culmination of a month’s worth of work as she wowed the audience with her rendition of King’s “MIA Mass Meeting at Holt Street Baptist Church,” his 1955 speech on the jailing of Rosa Parks that kicked off his second life as a civil rights leader.
“I tried last year and this year I gave it my all, and I am happy with how it all turned out,” Robinson said.
Kings (and queens) for a day
They came from all races and backgrounds to recite King’s speeches. And they all tried with their voices and gestures to the channel the legendary civil rights figure.
More than once, the emcee for the event, Dan Wiley, a former city councilman and current city employee, said during the competition, “I don’t envy the job of the judges.”
The judges for the competition were Tish Kraszyk, advertising manager for the Hudson Reporter; Cheryl DB Murphy, president of the Jersey City West Indian Carnival Committee, Carmen Flores of the Philippine American Friendship Festival Committee, and Omar Perez, an aide to Mayor Healy.
In the end, all the contestants were happy to be honored.
One was sixth grader Gianelle Cepeda, who spent a week memorizing her speech, “Where do we go from here?” The speech was King’s address to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in August, 1967.
She said she was nervous performing in front of the live audience, but she still earned an honorable mention prize.
Eighth grader Imani Hightower earned a second place trophy for her stirring oration of “And God Was Marching On,” given by King in Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.
“Martin Luther King stood for a lot, and so it’s an honor to stand here and just represent what he stood for,” Hightower said.
Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonrreporter.com.