Youth Voices of Diversity Winter Writing Festival and Literary Scholarship

Hosted by the NAACP-Corvallis/Albany in partnership with the King Legacy Advisory Board of the City of Corvallis and the Corvallis School District. 

Program Introduction

We believe that if we learn each other’s stories, the barriers begin to break down. We begin to see each other as individual human beings, struggling the way we all must, to live good lives and treat each other decently. We are all parts of different communities, and we reach out and cross over in strange, often surprising ways.

The NAACP Corvallis/Albany Chapter in partnership with the King Legacy Advisory Board (KLAB) of Corvallis, Oregon and the Corvallis School District will be hosting Youth Voices of Diversity, a 2-part program that aims to work with youth to share their own stories and thoughts while also working to develop their critical reading, writing, and public speaking skills.

The goals of the program are:

• To provide participants with an opportunity to learn about Dr. King and other social justice activists, their messages and their works.
• To give an opportunity to reflect on our present and the future in light of the works of influential social justice activists.
• To encourage students to continue pursuing their studies through modest financial scholarships with an appreciation for Dr. King and other social justice activists and their legacies.
• To encourage youth to share their thoughts and experiences as part of the local community.

Winter Writing Festival & Literary Scholarship

On January 15, 2018, the Winter Writing Festival will celebrate the works of influential social justice activists through workshops led by community members who will explore their speeches and writings and discuss ways in which they continue to apply to present-day situations, from matters of personal significance to those on a national and international scale.

The deadline to register is December 20. To register,please visit the YVoD application page.

Participants will also examine the literary devices and other narrative and writing techniques utilized by the influential social justice activists in their writings and speeches.

After the writing festival, young writers who have been inspired by the lives and work of the activists discussed during that day will be asked to complete and submit a work of literary art (poem or essay) for inclusion in a digital anthology.

Workshop Topics & Schedule

All activities will take place in the Horizons Room at the Memorial Union on the Oregon State University campus.

11:00 am-11:15 am: Arrival

11:15 am-11:30 am: Welcome Address

11:30 am-12:30 pm: “The Life & Works of…” presented by: TBD

12:30 pm-12:40 pm: Snack Break 1

12:40pm-1:40pm: “Speak & Be Heard” presented by: TBD

1:40 pm-2:40 pm: Catered Lunch

2:40 pm-3:40 pm: “Presenting Your Story” presented by: Shelley Moon

3:40 pm-3:50 pm: Snack Break 2

3:50 pm-4:50 pm: “From the Past to the Present” presented by: Lorena Reynolds, JD.

4:50 pm-5:20 pm: Closing Remarks

Workshop Topic A – The Life & Works of…

In this workshop, participants will learn about the life and works of lesser known yet incredibly impactful social justice leaders and activists, their roles in bringing about change, and the legacies they leave behind. Participants are encouraged to continue learning and researching about the lesser-known influential figures and potentially utilize the lives and works of a figure or another figure researched on their own to inspire their essay or poetry entries into the digital anthology.

Workshop Topic B – Speak & Be Heard

In this workshop, participants will first analyze the rhythm, tone, stresses, and intonations of powerful speeches given by social justice orators. Then, participants will choose, analyze, practice, and recite a 2-3 minute excerpt of a favorite speech or other work from a past or present social justice activist. Each participant will be given a turn to recite in front of their workshop peers and do not need to have memorized any or all parts of the piece they intend to present.

Workshop Topic C – Presenting Your Story

In this workshop, participants will read examples of personal narratives as a group and discuss the literary elements that make the pieces so powerful and effective. Next, they will learn how to incorporate some of the literary devices and techniques into crafting their own written stories focusing on a theme discussed in the workshop.

Workshop Topic D – From the Past to the Present

In this workshop, participants will learn about the changes real students have made to affect social justice issues and how words must be followed by action, however small the initial impact may seem. Participants will be asked to brainstorm together about initiatives they can start in their home, school, or community to address a specific type of social justice issue they care about.

Digital Anthology & Scholarship Submissions

After the writing festival, participants will have until February 28, 2018 to submit an entry into the digital anthology for a chance at winning a scholarship prize. In no more than 650 words, digital anthology submissions may respond to one of the following four prompts:

1. Tell a personal narrative about a racial or cultural difference or prejudice that you’ve faced.
2. Reflecting upon the work of a social justice activist, share how one of their speeches, quotes, or essays relates to you personally.
3. Racism is defined as “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior”. Injustice is defined as “a situation in which the rights of a person or a group of people are ignored; violation of a right or of the rights of another”.  As a young community member, what can you do as an individual to challenge racism and/or injustice when you see it occur?
4. Dr. King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” What are some injustices in today’s world, your school, or your community, and how can you work to pursue justice despite challenges you may face?

Submissions for the digital anthology for Youth Voices of Diversity must be original work and must not contain any harmful, defamatory, or otherwise inappropriate language.

Submissions may be in essay or poetry form. Do not write names on essays.

Students should submit their essay along with a separate sheet of paper containing the writer’s name, home/family email address, telephone number, school name and grade.

Scholarship Prizes

All entries for the digital anthology will be considered for a scholarship prize. The first and second place entries in both the essay and poem categories will receive a scholarship prize:

Essay Category, 1st Place $400 Poem Category, 1st Place $200

Essay Category, 2nd Place $300 Poem Category, 2nd Place $100

Publication Permission & Copyright Usage

By participating in Youth Voices of Diversity, students give their permission for their submissions to be published in digital and print anthologies, as well as to be distributed to the community and the media.

Once entries have been submitted and accepted for publication in the digital anthology, the NAACP-Corvallis/Albany Chapter and KLAB reserve the copyright to reuse and share all submissions provided that the manner, methodology and purpose are in alignment with the bylaws and mission of the NAACP and KLAB. Published physical copies of the digital anthology may also be used for future fundraising efforts, also in alignment with the mission, goals and bylaws of the NAACP and KLAB.

Anthology & Scholarship Submission Deadline

Submissions will be accepted starting the day of the Winter Writing Festival in January with a final submission deadline of 5 pm on Wednesday, February 28, 2018. Scholarship prize winners will be notified by April 16, 2018.

All entries should be sent to:

Youth Voices of Diversity
c/o NAACP-Corvallis/Albany
460 SW Madison Ave Suite 1
Corvallis, Oregon 97333

Scholarship winners will be recognized at an NAACP youth celebration in May 2018 where they will be asked to present their winning entries. All entries included into the digital anthology will also be on display to celebrate the works of writing festival participants.

Participation Criteria

Participants for the Winter Writing Festival and Literary Scholarship must be enrolled in a high school or equivalent home school program. Participants must also be residents within Linn or Benton county. Due to limited available workshop seats, eligible students are asked to register and apply to participate as early as possible at the Youth Voices of Diversity web link: http://tiny.cc/YVoD

Should all workshop seats become full, a waiting list will be created to notify registrants of potential openings.

About the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

The mission of the NAACP is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination. The vision of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race. The principal objectives of the NAACP shall be:

• To ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all citizens
• To achieve equality of rights and eliminate race prejudice among US citizens
• To remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes
• To seek enactment and enforcement of federal, state, and local laws securing civil rights
• To inform the public of the adverse effects of racial discrimination and to seek its elimination
• To educate persons as to their constitutional rights and to take all lawful action to secure the exercise thereof, and to take any other lawful action in furtherance of these objectives, consistent with the NAACP’s Articles of Incorporation and Constitution.

About the King Legacy Advisory Board of Corvallis, Oregon

The King Legacy Advisory Board (KLAB) of Corvallis, Oregon, was established in 1987 (initially named the Commission for Martin Luther King, Jr.) by Municipal Code Section 1.16.260. The charge of KLAB is to celebrate and promote the principles and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with the goal of helping Corvallis to become a more inclusive and just community. This work includes:

•      Promote inclusion of diverse people and communities within Corvallis.
•      Pursue nonviolent solutions to economic and social injustices in Corvallis.
•      Be a strong advocate to build a strong and diverse community of Corvallis residents.