Martin Luther King Jr. & Black History Month Creative Expression Project
Posted on January 17, 2025To further our mission of connecting the community, the Wellesley Free Library is excited to offer an opportunity for reflection and expression. In recognition of Martin Luther King Day and Black History Month – and in celebration of the creativity of our community – the Wellesley Free Library is conducting a contest featuring essays, poetry, graphics, music and any other form of creative expression you wish.
For kids and teens, the Wellesley Free Library is offering an in-person zine workshop on Tuesday, February 11 at 4:00 PM in the Arnold Room. What is a zine? Zines are a small, self-published work that’s usually photocopied and distributed in small quantities. Zine’s can be based on the prompts below, famous Black Americans, or any related topic. All zines submitted will be entered into the project for judging by our panel, as well as be made available for community viewing. People of all ages are, of course, invited to create a zine if they wish.
Background:
Dr. Carter G. Woodson considered the “Father of Black History,” received his Ph.D. in History from Harvard University in 1912. Originally, he sought to celebrate the contributions of Black Americans to the United States in 1926 with the establishment of Negro History Week during the second week of February. In 1969, members of the Black United Students organization at Kent State University proposed that Black History Week become Black History Month and at Kent State, in 1970, the month-long celebration started.
President Gerald Ford urged Americans during the Bicentennial in 1976 to “Seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Black History Month officially began. President Ronald Reagan signed the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Bill into law in November 1983 designating the third Monday in January a federal holiday and recognizing Dr. King’s accomplishments.
Prompts:
To help guide the process, we provide the following prompts.
- In his speech, Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution, delivered at the National Cathedral, Dr. King famously said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Express what that quote means to you.
- How is Dr. King’s dream manifested in our nation today?
- If Dr. King were alive today, how would he approach the challenges we face as a nation?
- In your opinion, what are the headwinds we face as we work toward greater unity among people regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or economic status?
- In Letter to My Daughter, Maya Angelou wrote, “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.“ Describe what this quote means to you.
Related Resources:
The Library has a wide range of resources on Dr. King, Black History, and Civil Rights. Here are a number of links to lists of those items.
- Black Intellectuals, Academics, and Leaders
- Black Mystery Writers
- Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Writers
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Process:
- Submissions will be accepted between January 20 and February 20, 2025
- Judging will take place the week of February 24
- Winning entries will be announced on Thursday, February 27
- All entries will be available via the Short Story Dispenser, as well as the library’s website
- All submissions become the property of the Wellesley Free Library and may appear in public media channels
Guidelines:
Send submissions to wflsubmissions@minlib.net
In the subject of your email, please write “Black History Month contest submission”
In the body of your email, please include:
- Your submission
- Full name
- Phone number
- Preferred e-mail address
- Please note if you are a child, teen, or adult
As guidelines, we ask for no more than 30 lines of poetry, fewer than 1000 words for an essay, and no longer than three minutes for a musical composition.