Video contest for high school, college students announced

[caption id="attachment_5178" align="alignleft" width="300"] Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Detroit[/caption]

Competition tied to King Anniversary March June 21-22

DETROIT — As part of the 50th Anniversary Commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 Walk to Freedom, a video contest for high school and college students was recently launched. The “Now Is the Time” contest asks entrants to upload a one-minute video to explain how they are helping with community rebuilding in Detroit — essentially living up to King’s dream. Participants must enter by June 1 at www.freedomwalkdetroit.com/contest. First prize is an Apple MacBook Pro, and second prize is an Apple iPad Mini. “We thought it was important that we connect King’s legacy with today’s actions, and youths working toward Detroit’s revitalization is a perfect way to do that,” said Rev. Wendell Anthony, president of the Detroit Branch NAACP and one of the march’s organizers. The public will have the opportunity to vote on the videos, and the winner will be announced June 22, as part of the anniversary celebration. The Detroit Branch NAACP, UAW-Ford, General Motors and other community organizations will host “Freedom Walk: We Shall Not Default on Our Freedom” June 21-22. The memorial will include day-long sessions, “Voices for Action,” to discuss issues such as ways to overcome voting barriers and discrimination on June 21, followed by the June 22 march down Woodward Avenue following the same route taken by King. “We have many milestones to celebrate since King walked Detroit’s streets some fifty years ago,” said UAW International Vice President Jimmy Settles. “But we are asking that everyone ‘take a step’ toward finding solutions as we go forward, and the anniversary celebration is a good place to start.” For more information, visit www.freedomwalkdetroit.com or contact the Detroit Branch NAACP at 313.871.2087.