Pinellas middle and high school students have until Nov. 30 to enter the city's 37th MLK essay contest. Finalists speak Jan. 15 for a $500 scholarship.

Middle and high school students across Pinellas County can now enter the city’s 37th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay and Oratorical Contest. Entries are due at 11:59 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30.

The best essays earn a place in a live speaking final in January. Finalists compete for a $500 scholarship.

The city announced the contest Wednesday in a media release. It is run by the Parks and Recreation Department’s Enoch Davis Center with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Organization and the Pinellas County Pan-Hellenic Council.

This year’s question

Students write on one topic, set by the organizers:

“Was Martin Luther King Jr.’s struggle for justice truly inclusive, or did it leave some voices unheard? Whose experiences or perspectives might have been overlooked in his fight for equality? Choose one perspective and develop an argument supported by specific evidence from King’s speeches, writings, or activism.”

The question asks for an argument, not a summary. Entrants pick one perspective and back it with evidence from King’s own words or work.

Who can enter

  • Students at any public or private middle or high school in Pinellas County.
  • The top four entrants in each grade level go through to the oratorical final.
  • Finalists compete for a $500 scholarship, which the city said goes to those who show exceptional insight.

Contest guidelines and submission instructions are on the Parks and Recreation contest page.

Key dates

Date What happens
Monday, Nov. 30, 11:59 p.m. Entry deadline
Monday, Dec. 28 Finalists announced
Wednesday, Jan. 6, 6 to 7 p.m. Oratorical workshop and rules review, Enoch Davis Center
Friday, Jan. 15, 6 p.m. Oratorical final, Enoch Davis Center

The Enoch Davis Center is at 1111 18th Ave. S. The final falls on the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is Monday, Jan. 18.

What it means for you

If you have a student in grades six through 12 anywhere in Pinellas County, the entry window is about a month. Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, falls inside it, and the deadline is the Monday after the holiday weekend.

Finalists who reach the January round should go to the Jan. 6 workshop. That is where the speaking rules are explained.

The contest is one of several city events around the holiday. The city has also funded community events for January through its MLK mini-grant program. Our things to do page will list holiday events as they are announced.