Martin Luther King Jr. oratory competition earns national, local attention


The performances of several HISD elementary school students who delivered original Martin Luther King Jr.-inspired speeches last week garnered praise from both local and national media outlets. ABC’s Good Morning America described the students’ speeches as “profound” and “impressive.”

The students’ speeches focused on the question, “What would Dr. King say in his campaign speech if he were running for president this year?” as part of the 20thannual Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition sponsored by Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP.

Students from Cornelius, Pleasantville, Wainwright, and Whidby elementary schools were featured in news stories on the competition, thanking Dr. King for his service and legacy. Parts of their speeches also were highlighted on TV.

Cornelius fifth-grader Richard Espinoza-Garza, who won the competition, told ABC that Dr. King “meant we should all come together – all races, all cultures.”

Click the links below to view stories on HISD students participating in the oratory competition.