Trending
Young voices ruminating on Dr. Martin Luther King's words filled Laughlin Memorial Chapel as winners of the Annual Project on Racism Contest read their pieces.
At the awards breakfast for the competition held on Monday, local winners were recognized by YWCA Cultural Diversity & Community Outreach Director Ron Scott Jr. Students were awarded for their interpretation in writing, film or song of King's quote, "Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."
Though the winners had already been recognized on Sunday at the Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission Awards Luncheon in Charleston, Scott explained he wanted to hold a local ceremony to celebrate Wheeling students who took King's words to heart.
"Not everybody can make it to Charleston, and I want the folks that put in the effort and made something creative here to feel seen," said Scott. "We also want this to be a little pat on the back for them."
Bethlehem Elementary School swept the kindergarten through fifth-grade category in the essay competition. In third place was fifth-grader Spencer Benedict, second place was fourth-grader Baleigh Anderson and first place went to fifth-grader Brantley Myers.
Ohio County Schools also dominated in the sixth through eighth-grade category in the essay competition. In third place was Bridge Street Middle School eighth-grader Jaxson Updegraff, second place was Triadelphia Middle School seventh-grader Miles Rockey and first place went to Triadelphia Middle School seventh-grader Leah Lief.
In her essay, Lief shared how she strove to educate her classmates about her faith in a positive way since she is the only Jewish person in her class. By inviting her classmates to her bat mitzvah, Lief wanted to give them a positive experience with "something different than what they were used to."
"The bat mitzvah reminded them of who I am in a positive setting," said Lief. "I hope that this will affect them indirectly in the future to be kind when seeing people's differences."
Scott explained that what set Lief and the other winners apart was their out-of-the-box interpretations of the quote.
"I can see the time and thought the winners put into their words because they didn't just write a big essay that says bullying is bad," noted Scott. "What I love is how they made their personal experience relate to Dr. King's experience, which then relates to the Black American experience, so it connects everybody."
Students from Wheeling Central Catholic High School took home the trophy in the ninth through twelfth-grade category for film submissions. While introducing the winning group, Scott noted that he looks forward to what Video Production and Digital Media teacher Jay Morris and his students bring to the table every year.
"Morris is very good at fostering that creativity in his students because if the teachers aren’t pushing the students, the project doesn't come out as great, " noted Scott. "I think when the theme of the Martin Luther King project came his way, he figured out how to make it as creative as possible and get the most out of the kids he was working with."
To be able to announce so many local students as winners in a statewide competition was something Scott "absolutely loved." He noted that this means kids were "really paying attention" to King's words.
"I love to see my hometown doing well," added Scott. "When you see a specific school like Bethlehem come away with three victories in the same category, you can't ask for anything more."
Further education on King's teachings continued at Laughlin Chapel after the breakfast during the special children program open to ages five through 12.
To begin the event, the Rev. Yvette Taylor, pastor of Wayman AME Church, explained the segregation King experienced to her young audience through the story of the activist being forbidden from playing with a white friend by the child's father.
The children were then asked the question "What difference can they make with their own two hands?" One child explained they could make friends with classmates, while another said they could hold hands with others.
Laughlin Chapel Program Coordinator Judy Saunders wants to keep "the innocence" found in the children's responses through the program.
"They're young, so at this age they don't really know a lot about the differences in people," noted Saunders. "That means we can start teaching them now that it doesn't matter if you are Black or white and that we can work together to make the world a better place."
After learning how to foster peace with their own two hands, the children then used those same hands to fingerpaint for the craft section of the program.
Apart from avoiding the mess fingerpainting brings in her house, Katie Klug, chief mission officer for Catholic Charities, was grateful for the education the program provided for her two daughters. Woodsdale Elementary School student Delaney Klug learned that she could be kind to others with her own two hands.
"It's important for us to educate ourselves and our children on our nation's history," said Katie Klugg. "I'm grateful that today my kids learned not only about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. but also about the lived experience of the presenters. And we walked about ways we can make a difference at any age. Only once we know better can we do better."
Scott was thrilled to hear impactful thoughts about King from local students at both events. He noted the programming today and the holiday as a whole are meant to unite the community and not create "any feelings of guilt."
"These kids, they’re gonna grow up realizing this holiday is something they've been a part of since middle or elementary school," added Scott. "These students can now think of Dr. King's quotes offhand because they’ve been writing about him since they were in kindergarten. The more they write about Dr. King and process his quotes, he becomes more than the guy who marched on Washington."