Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest

For: Students in grades 4-12

Prompt: “The Ripple Effect of Kindness and Justice” - Dr. King once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”  Share examples of how you feel acts of kindness, big or small, can create lasting change.

Details: One entry per student. Essay should not exceed 500 words.

Submission information: Submit documents beginning January 1, 2026 at HERE or at link below.

Deadline: Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026

How to Enter a Submission

• One essay per student.
• Must not exceed 500 words.
• Must be submitted as a PDF document.
• Essays must be typed, double-spaced and suitable for publication.
• Content must be original – no licensed, copyrighted, trademarked work or plagiarism will be accepted.
• No identifying information of the author can be included in the body of the essay.
• Each participant must grant the City of Richardson permission to use his or her name and essay for the purposes of the contest and acknowledging that it may be reproduced and published. If participant is under age 18, entry must be submitted by a parent or guardian.

Essays will be scored by a panel of judges based on:

• Organization
  There are many elements that must come together to create a good essay. The topic should be clear and interesting. The author’s voice should come through, but not be a distraction. There should be no errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or capitalization. Organization is one of the most important elements of an essay that is often overlooked. An organized essay is clear, focused, logical and effective.


• Content
  To what extent did the writer demonstrate a clear understanding of the question and respond with details?


• Creativity
  To what extent was the original thinking of the author relative to the subject?


• Voice
  “Voice” refers to the rhetorical mixture of vocabulary, tone, point of view, and syntax that makes phrases, sentences, and paragraphs flow in a particular manner. Novels can represent multiple voices: that of the narrator and those of individual characters.


• Grammatical Structure
  Literary style, grammar, style and length of essay (500 Words).


• Reflection of the Topic
  How well does the essay relate to the topic?

Black History Month: “Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion” Art Contest

For: Students in 1-12 grade.

Prompt: “Unsung Heroes” - Not all heroes make it into history books. Create a tribute to a lesser-known figure in your life, a community leader, or a family member who has made a meaningful impact.

Details: One entry per student. Submission may include a two or three-dimensional art piece.

Submission information:  Submit photos of art beginning January 1, 2026 at HERE or at link below.

Deadline: Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.

• One entry per student.
• Must be submitted as a .jpg.
• Entries may be either Two or Three-Dimensional Works:
  • Maximum 2D size is 12” x 18”
    • Maximum 3D size is 16”H x 12”D x 16”W
• Entries must be original – no licensed, copyrighted, or trademarked work will be accepted.
• Entries must not be offensive, pornographic, overly graphic, obscene, etc.
• One photo of entry will be submitted digitally. (see below on how to submit) 
• No identifying information of the artist can be included as part of the visual submission.
• Each participant must grant the City of Richardson permission to use his or her name and image for the purposes of the contest and acknowledging that it may be published or displayed. If participant is under age 18, a parent or legal guardian must complete this entry.

Entries will be scored by a panel of judges based on: 

• Artistic Excellence
  How is the quality of the composition,  overall artistic design and professional approach to the process and presentation?
  
  
• Originality
  How creative and original is the artwork of the depicted theme?
  
  
• Reflection of the Theme
  How is the quality of the composition,  overall artistic design and professional approach to the process and presentation?

2025 Art Contest Winners

Praneel Thakkar  |  1st to 3rd Grade	Cohen Hughes  |  4th to 6th Grade
Amal Raj Anilkumar |  7th to 9th Grade	Ayianna Wooten  |  10th to 12th Grade

2025 Essay Contest Winners

2024 Art Contest Winners

View May 6, 2024 City Council Presentation

Viraj Kalra  |  1st to 3rd Grade	Amal Raj Anilkumar  |  4th to 6th Grade
Darian Twitty |  7th to 9th Grade	Enqi Wang  |  10th to 12th Grade

2024 Essay Contest Winners

View May 6, 2024 City Council Presentation

2023 Art Contest Winners 

Yuval Segal  |  1st-3rd	Amal Raj Anilkumar  |  4th-6th
Cooper Mansur |  7th-9th	Katherine Ramirez Sosa  |  10th-12th

2023 Essay Contest Winners 

2022 Art Contest Winners 

Viraj Kalra  |  PreK-2nd	Hafsa Sayeed  |  3rd-5th
Sarah Edwards  |  6th-8th	Nawal Ikram  |  9th-12th

2022 Essay Contest Winners 

"Black History Month: Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion" Art Contest Previous Winners

Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest Previous Winners