Dear Student, Parent and Community Member,
The purpose of this correspondence is to share information about the upcoming Cleveland Regional Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Contest. The Ohio MLK Statewide Oratorical Contest is of inestimable value in enhancing the development and communication skills of our youth. Winners of this regional competition move forward to compete at the statewide level in April 2025.
To provide you with some history, the Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission (Commission) was established in 1985 by Executive Order. The Commission is committed to educating children about Dr. King’s legacy of brotherhood among all people. The Commission is a statewide advocate of Dr. King’s principles of nonviolence and annually honors Ohio’s citizens who work to promote diversity and eliminate discrimination through nonviolent methods.
Former commissioner Mildred Clark founded an oratorical contest in her hometown of Toledo in 1985 to recognize Dr. King and involve children in that city’s annual MLK celebration. In 1998, the first-place winners from Toledo spoke at the annual state Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Celebration in Columbus.
The theme for the 2025 MLK Statewide Oratorical Contest is, “Honoring the Legacy, Uniting the Future.”
The Cleveland Regional Competition will take place on Saturday, March 1, 2025 at Lee Heights Community Church, 4612 Lee Road. The contest will begin 10:00 a.m. Registration will begin at 9:00 a.m. I have included the registration forms and rules/regulations for the Cleveland competition. The registration deadline for the contest is February 24, 2025. The winners of this competition move forward to the Commission’s statewide competition in April 2025.
If you have any questions regarding the Greater Cleveland Regional Competition, please contact me at 216-581-2448 or via email at [email protected]
Best wishes,
Vikki Pruitte-Sorrells
Rev. Vikki Pruitte-Sorrells
Coordinator, Greater Cleveland Regional Competition
