MLK DAY 2021
ESSAY AND COLORING CONTEST
Submission Accepted Jan 22-Feb 20
United Way of Greater Lafayette, The Tippecanoe County Public Library, Silky Sources Salon, and Rocco’s Barbershop for Men and Women invite youth of all ages are encouraged to participate in the first MLK Day Essay and Coloring Call-out. Winning entries will be given prizes. Instructions and prompts for the different opportunities can be found below.
Grades k-2: Coloring Pages
Kindergarten thru Second Grade students are encouraged to express themselves through one of the coloring pages below. All completed entries will receive a prize. You may take a photo and email the submission below or drop off at the Downtown Branch of the public library or United Way of Greater Lafayette.
Grades 3-5 & 6-8: Martin Luther King, Jr. Quote Analysis
Please read through the quotes below and choose one to write a couple of paragraphs about for grades 3-5 and a one page essay for grades 6-8. You may write about any thoughts or reactions you have based on the quote. Make sure to include or reference the quote you chose. The following questions are not required to be answered, but may be helpful in sharing your thoughts:
What does the quote mean for America today?
How can you use this quote in your own life?
What did Dr. King want people to understand and do?
How would you explain the quote to a fellow student?
3rd -5th Grade Quotes
“Only in the darkness can you see the stars.”
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
6th -8th Grade Quotes
“Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”
High School: "Letter From A Birmingham Jail" Reaction
Please read the transcript of Dr. King’s original typed “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” or listen to the audio with Dr. King’s voice. Both can be found at the website below. After reading or listening to it, react to this well-known document, gain insight into Dr. King’s thinking and what was really going on in the early 1960s between clergymen. Write an essay about the letter and share your thoughts.
