MLK Poetry Writing Contest

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3rd ANNUAL MLK POETRY WRITING CONTEST: PROMISE LAND

SUBMISSION RULES & GUIDELINES
THEME: THE PROMISE LAND
DIRECTIONS
Participants are asked to read and/or listen to in its entirety Dr. Kings Ive Been to the Mountaintop
speech and write a poem in response. The winning poem will embody one or more of the following
themes: leadership, community service, progress through peaceful protest, socio-economic equality, and
confronting injustice. Ideas for students to ponder: What was Dr. Kings overall theme of the speech?
What injustices must this generation confront? Do injustices of today parallel the issues in Dr. Kings
speech? Imagine what Dr. King was going through as he gave this speech knowing his life was
endanger? What is the Promise Land? Is it possible to reach the Promise Land and if so, how? What
are the reoccurring themes in the speech? What are the spiritual/religious themes of the speech? Students
are encouraged to use their imagination and creativity. For additional research students are encouraged to
visit www.thekingcenter.org as a starting point.

PRIZES
Winners
iPad Mini
Cash Prize
8th Grade Category
$100
9th 11th Grade Category
$ 150
11th 12th Grade Category
$300
Trophy
Poem displayed with winners of art contest
Featured performer at a showcase reading for winners during MLK weekend
Runner Up
$25 Gift Card
Gift Bag
Plaque
$50 Gift Certificate from Hub City Bookshop
Certificate
Journal and Pens
NOTE: Once the winner(s) in each category have been determined, each student will
have the opportunity to participate in an oratory/performance workshop to help them
memorize and perform the piece effectively.

SUBMISSION RULES & GUIDELINES

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Each submission must contain a cover sheet, which includes title of

the poem, participants full name, address, phone number of parents/guardian,
students grade level, school student is currently attending, and name of guidance
counselor.
The poem can be no longer than 2 pages in length.
Each page of the poem must contain the students first and last name in the top
right corner.
Each page of the poem must be numbered in the top right corner as such 1 of 2, 2 of
2.

MLK Poetry Writing Contest

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Only one submission per student is allowed.

ABSOLUTELY NO FOUL and/or OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE.
Must be a Spartanburg County resident currently attending school in one of the 7
districts.
Submissions must be emailed directly to fineprintink@yahoo.com, submitted
through www.fineprintink.com or mailed. Submissions must be in PDF or Word
(doc.) format to be considered. Mailed submissions must be RECEIVED by the
contest deadline.
Winners will receive prizes at a showcase reading. In order to receive prizes
winners must be available to perform at showcase reading.
By submitting to the contest, contestants agree to submission rules and guidelines
and judging process.

WHO CAN ENTER

8th 12th graders attending school and/or currently residing in Spartanburg County.
Categories: A winner will be chosen in 3 categories
1) Middle School: 8th Graders
2) High School Underclass: 9th 10th Graders
3) High School Upperclass: 11th 12th Graders

SUBMISSION DEADLINES
Submission Deadline: Saturday, December 6th
Judging Period: December 8th December 19th
Winners Notified: December 22nd
Performance & Oratory Workshops for Winners: December 20th January 9th (dates and
times of workshops will be determined based on winners schedules.)
About A Dream (Awards Ceremony For Winners): Saturday, January 17, 2015

JUDGING
There will be a panel of 6 judges: 1 College English Professor; 1 High School English Teacher; 1
Community Leader; 2 writers; 1 social studies teacher
Round 1 Judging
Each category will have two judges reading all submissions in that category. The
category with the most submissions will receive extra support with a third judge
added to their reading round. The top 5 poems from each category, based on
score sheet, will move to the final round.
Final Round Judging
All judges will meet and discuss the content and overall literary value of the top
5 poems from each category and a winner from each category will be decided
collectively.

MLK Poetry Writing Contest

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3RD ANNUAL MLK POETRY WRITING CONTEST: PROMISE LAND

Score Sheet
Score range for each category is 1-10, one being the lowest score and ten being the highest. Judges are
encouraged to use decimal points to prevent a tie. Please double check to make sure the contestant
number of the poem matches the contestant number on the score sheet before moving on.

CONTESTANT SCORE SHEET

contestant #________

1) BEAUTY, POWER & EDUCATION

_____________

2) MESSAGE & INTEREST

_____________

3) TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE

_____________

4) ASSONANCE & ALLITERATION

_____________

5) IMAGERY

_____________

6) FORM & FLOW

_____________

7) CHOICE OF WORDS & READABILITY

_____________

8) ORIGINALITY

_____________

9) POLISH & EXPERTISE

_____________

10) OVERALL IMPACT

_____________

TOTAL

_________

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2014 MLK POETRY WRITING CONTEST SPONSORS

CITY OF SPARTANBURG
City of Spartanburg Community Services encompasses a variety of divisions that support the community
through neighborhood and housing programs, special events, recreation facilities and public parks.
Community Services Divisions work with the residents of the City of Spartanburg in an effort to maintain
a safe and desirable living and working environment for citizens of Spartanburg. Community Services
strives to maintain and improve the quality of our community by providing the services outline in the
function of the divisions listed below. www.cityofspartanburg.org
FINE PRINT INK
Fine Print Ink is a production/programming company dedicated to creating transformational artist
experiences. Founded October 2012 by Crystal Tennille Irby, an award-winning poet, Fine Print Ink
seeks to examine and wrap emotion around issues that seem far from us and bring them closer to home.
www.fineprintink.com
HUB-BUB SPARTANBURG
HUB-BUB offers more than 100 events of art, culture, and entertainment a year. HUB-BUBs mission is
to build community through dynamic arts and ideas in downtown Spartanburg, SC. http://www.hubbub.com
HUB CITY WRITERS PROJECT
In May 1995 a trio of writers in Spartanburg, SC, began to talk in a downtown coffee shop about how
they could help preserve a sense of place in their rapidly changing Southern city. What their community
needed, they said, was a literary identity. Modeling their organization after the Depression-era Federal
Writers Project, they chose the name Hub City because it invoked Spartanburg's past as a 19th century
railroad center and challenged them to make their hometown a center for literary arts. www.hubcity.org
SPARTANBURG SCHOOL DISTRICT 7
Spartanburg County School District Seven, in collaboration with parents and the community, will ensure
a maximum educational experience for all students so that they will learn to think and apply the
knowledge and skills necessary to become successful, productive citizens.
www.spartanburg7.org

SPOKEN WORD SPARTANBURG

FoundedbyMarlandaDekine,thepurposeofSpokenWordSpartanburgistonurturetheraw,uncut
performanceartofspokenwordandslampoetrythroughperformance,academicandcommunity
dialogueonsocialjusticeandequality,andworkshop.www.spokenwordspartanburg.com
URBANLEAGUEOFTHEUPSTATE
The purpose of the Urban League of the Upstate is to promote education, equip economically, and
transform generations. Under the leadership of the President and Chief Executive Officer Jil Littlejohn,
the Urban League of the Upstate continues to support and advocate for the economic equality for African
Americans by building strong and stable communities. http://www.urbanleagueupstate.org

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WE SHALL OVERCOME FUND

Created to nurture grassroots efforts within African American communities to use art and activism
against injustice, the We Shall Overcome Fund supports organizing in the South that is at the nexus of
culture and social change. The We Shall Overcome Fund supports a wide range of projects including:
Performance and visual arts projects linked to or directly serving efforts that seek to transform unjust
social, economic, and political environments/conditions/imbalances; Workshops, conferences, and
research projects that use arts and culture to build coalitions, share information, inspire, and mobilize
people to take action; Preservation of Civil Rights Movement documents; multi-media research projects
that document and share the history of the Movement. http://www.highlandercenter.org/programs/we
shallovercomefund
TRINITY GRAPHICS