Each year in January, Goshen College honors the work and activism of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by taking the day off and hosting events. This year, they will be adding a new contest to the line-up of events. 

On Nov. 17, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the MLK Day Committee announced their upcoming art contest “Voices in the Movement.”

The contest is open to Goshen College and high school students in the Elkhart area. Students must submit their work in one of two categories.  

“We have two tracks,” said Jessica Lala, assistant professor of social work and co-chair of the project. “We’ve labeled the first ‘Descendants of Dr. King,’ which are Black and African-American students, and then we have ‘Allies of Dr. King,’ which is everyone else.”

The first path will strive to showcase the voices and experiences that encompass the Black community. The second will include anyone interested in uplifting those on the margins of society. Both will emphasize and touch upon Dr. King’s message. 

Students can create a representation of their choice in the form of a narrative or documentary, a spoken performance or a musical or artistic piece. 

“With this competition, we want to give students and students in the community the opportunity to share how they are forwarding the work of Dr. King,” said Lala. “A lot of times, we can express ourselves through different arts and forms of that.”

Each entry will be judged by local community members, where students will have the opportunity to showcase their work on Jan. 16. 

Winners will also be invited and awarded on Martin Luther King, Jr., Day at 7 p.m. in the College Mennonite Church. 

The categories will feature a cash prize and certificates; however, there will be a grand winner from the “Descendants of Dr. King” and “Allies of Dr. King” path. 

“I’m excited to see how students want to express themselves,” said Lala. “You don’t have to be an art or music major … if any of these forms of art … or the message of Dr. King is important, give yourself the opportunity to showcase it.”

Interested students may check the Communicator for the application form. The deadline to apply is Jan. 10.

For additional questions or information, contact careers@goshen.edu.