Fort Bend County Judge KP George's Black History Month Oratory Contest

Know the Past, Shape the Future

Contest open to all elementary, middle, and high school students in Fort Bend

Due by: Feb 25, 2023, 12:00 PM

Submit to: fbc.judge@fbctx.gov

Download flyer

Download flyer [PDF]

Download application [PDF]

The second annual Black History Month Oratory Competition held by Fort Bend County Judge KP George is now accepting written submissions until 12:00 p.m., Saturday, February 25.

Participants will be judged on their speech writing ability in response to the following prompt: What would Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. think about America today?

The winner in each category along with the second and third-place finalists will be notified on Monday, September 27.   The winner and finalists in each age group will be invited to present their speeches at the Historic Fort Bend County Courthouse.

First-place winners will receive an award and prize. Second and third-place finalists will receive a certificate of participation.

Attendance is open to the public.

Eligibility

Eligible participants are elementary, junior high, and high school students in Fort Bend County.

Contest Requirements and Submission Deadlines

Applicants must submit an original essay in response to the prompt: What would Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. think about America today?

Deadline

All participants must submit their essay and application form on Friday, February 25, 2023, at 12:00 pm by emailing: fbc.judge@fbctx.gov.

Prize

The winner in each category will be invited to the Fort Bend County Historic Courthouse to recite their essay during the awards ceremony. The winner in each age group will receive an award and prize.

Scoring

The essay contest will be graded on a 20-point scale based on the 4 criteria defined below:

Documented Sources - showing where you got source information that's not your own. Remember, a research paper blends your ideas with ideas and information from other sources. (4 points maximum)

  • 0 Points for not having a documented source.
  • 1  Point for 1 quality documented source.
  • 2  Points for 2  quality documented sources.
  • 3 Points for 3 quality documented sources.
  • 4 Points for 4 or more quality documented sources.
  • Plagiarism of any kind is grounds for automatic disqualification.
  • Use reliable and reputable sources only.

Grammar (5 points maximum)

  • Correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar throughout the paper.

Voice (5 points maximum)

  • Tone
  • Word choice
  • Rhythm

Format (6 points maximum)

  • Elementary School - 2 – 3 pages – word count estimate 750 words
  • Junior High School - 4-5 pages – word county estimate 1,000 words
  • High School - 5 or more pages – word count estimate 1,500 words
  • 1-inch margins
  • Times Roman
  • 12-font size and double-spaced

If you have any questions, please contact us at 281-341-8608. Submissions must be submitted at fbc.judge@fbctx.gov.