Lee County Remembrance Project (LCRP), in partnership with Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), invites all 9th-12th grade public school students in Lee County, AL, to participate in 2024’s Racial Justice Essay Contest. This includes students attending all public high schools in the Auburn City, Opelika City, and Lee County School Districts. Students are asked to write an 800 – 1,000-word essay about racial injustice in the past and its impact today. The contest will begin on Tuesday, September 3rd. All essay submissions are due by Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at 11:59pm central time. Prizes totaling up to $5,000 will be awarded to winning participants!
Students interested in participating in this contest should visit www.leecountyremembrance.org/essay and complete the interest form to get started. LCRP will host two kick-off events to explore the essay prompt and help students access resources for their essays. Students can attend either kick-off event and can request a recording of the online event. Kick-off events will be held:
· Thursday, September 5th at 7pm (central) on Zoom
· Saturday, September 14 at 11am (central) at the Opelika Public Library
LCRP will support students by providing historical resources and help with editing their essays throughout the contest. Winners will be announced at LCRP’s Day of Remembrance Ceremony on Sunday, November 17th. Past essay contest winners include Mary Lancaster of Beauregard High School and JaNiah Hoskins of Smiths Station High School.
To learn more about the Racial Justice Essay Contest, please visit www.leecountyremembrance.org/essay.
Joe Davis
Co-Executive Director
Lee County Remembrance Project
