Feb 6

Feb 6 MLK Oratorical Contest winners awarded

Culture, Faith & Fellowhip, Faith & Fellowship, Local News, nonprofit

{Winners of the 2021 MLK Oratorical Contest received scholarships $1250 to $3000. Contributed Photo.}

The Martin Luther King Social Action (MLK-SAC) hosted the MLK Multicultural Arts Celebration on Saturday, January 15th.

The group rescheduled the MLK Oratorical Contest and the MLK National Holiday event two times because of inclement weather. We were able to combine those events and held on Sunday, January 29, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. hosted by Mills Homes Baptist Church, Baptist Children's Homes of NC, Thomasville, NC.

The MLK Oratorical Contest had 8 students from 7 different high schools, speaking on the theme 'No More Business as Usual'. Picture, 5-1st Place Winner, Nailah Carter, Junior from Atkins High School, Winston-Salem, NC ($3500 - Deboy Beamon Scholarship Award & won $350 - Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Joyce Torrence Memorial Poise Award).

Picture are 2021 winners (R-L); Nailah Carter; Ariadne Alvarez, senior from Thomasville High School, 2nd place ($3000-Stanfield-Dalton Memorial Scholarship Award); Kabari Walker (a returning student), senior from East Forsyth High School, Kernersville, NC, 4th place ($2250 - Dr. W. E. Banks Memorial Scholarship Award & won $400 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc (THS) Technology & Innovative Award); Kendrick Lynch, junior at Southern Guilford High School, Greensboro, NC, 5th place ($2000 - Ebony Alpha Ebony Service Organization Scholarship Award); Ariyan Byrd, junior at Thomasville High School, 7th place ($1500 - Rebecca Patterson Memorial Scholarship Award). Not pictured Njeri Jackson (a returning student), senior at Weddington High School, Weddington, NC, 3rd place ($2500 - Dr. J. Ray Butler Memorial Scholarship Award and $300 - George Burton Memorial Manuscript Award); Kalem Griffin, senior at East Davidson High School, Thomasville, NC, 6th place ($1750 - Dr. William T. Jackson Memorial Scholarship Award) and Lance Patterson (a returning student), senior at Mount Tabor High School, Winston-Salem, NC, 8th place ($1250 - James H. Bloomfield Scholarship Award).

Jacquez Johnson was the emcee for the oratorical contest who is a college student at Appalachian State University and a former participant in the MLK Oratorical Contest.

The MLK 2022 Service award was given to Pastor Calvin Smith, pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church, Thomasville, NC who led several food drives to feed families and coordinated events to host the COVID-19 vaccines. Has worked diligently in the Thomasville community to be that servant leader. Award given to Pastor Smith from Dr. George B. Jackson, Chairman and Founder of MLK-SAC. See Previous story by Davidson Local.

Dr. Michael C. Blackwell, CEO and President of Baptist Children's Homes of NC, Thomasville, NC was awarded the honorary Doctorate Degree in Ministry from United Cornerstone University given by Dr. George Jackson, Board of Trustees, and Faculty.