Eight Finalists Selected for 24th Annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition in Dallas

Dallas Independent School District’s publication, The Hub, featured the 24th Annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Semifinal Competition held at the school district’s Ada Williams Auditorium on Dec. 8. Fourth- and fifth-grade students representing 15 elementary schools from across the district presented original speeches answering the question, “What would Dr. King say in his campaign speech if he were running for president this year?”

Students advancing to the final competition scheduled for Jan. 15, 2015 at the Majestic Theatre in downtown Dallas are:

• Kywin Brown, fifth grade, Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary
• Jayden Jackson, fifth grade, L.L. Hotchkiss Elementary
• Donna Guevara, fifth grade, John Neely Bryan Elementary
• Guadalupe Zamora, fifth grade, Arcadia Park Elementary
• Marco Mares, fifth grade, William Brown Miller Elementary
• Za’Kiah Bell, fifth grade, J.P. Starks Math, Science and Technology Vanguard
• Lyriq Turner, fifth grade, Charles Rice Learning Center
• Mariah Hickman, fourth grade, Paul L. Dunbar Learning Center

The complete article can be viewed here. For more information about the Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory competition, including video of past winning speeches, click here.