"You see, you might have a voice, but if you do not use it, nobody will know you have one," Khadija Rahim, a junior at Woodbridge Senior High School, told the audience. It was Rahim's voice and delivery that brought the crowd of 2500 to its feet and earned her the “Best Before the Audience” award from the judges at the16th Annual Martin Luther King Youth Oratorical Contest. Rhaim took control of the audience, giving a “call and response” speech reminiscent of great orators.

Musical performances and rousing speeches from six finalists in a show-down for top-orator honors highlighted Prince William County’s annual King Day celebration on January 16 at Hylton Memorial Chapel.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Meets the ‘"Queen of Talk"…Barbara Jordan was the theme for this year's contest, the first time Dr. King’s oratorical style has been compared to a female orator. Jordan was a celebrated civil rights leader and the first black woman to serve as a State Senator in Texas.

"Barbara Jordan is considered one of the best orators of all time. And she was a civil rights activist so that's why we selected her," explained Lillie Jessie, Principal of Vaughan Elementary School. Jessie coordinates the King Day celebration.

 “A great orator has the ability to build imagery, to take the audience on a journey, to connect with the audience, to change how you think about an issue,” says Jessie. “These students were outstanding and we can see what they will become.”       

Graham Park Middle School sixth grader Donald Jones, Jr. took the “Best Before the Audience” award at the middle school level.

In addition to Rahim and Jones, finalists Brianna French from Godwin Middle School; Marguerite Copeland, Pennington Traditional School; Katherine Gonzales, Osbourn Park High School; and Ashley Strickland, Potomac High School, delivered their speeches to the crowd.

"Best Before the Judges" awards were given to Brianna French and Ashley Strickland.

The Oratorical Contest encourages the development of public speaking skills of young people in grades 6 through 12. The primary goal of the program is to preserve Dr. King’s legacy through the voices of youth. The event was sponsored by the Prince William Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and its Education Foundation.

Want to hear more from the six oratorical contest finalists? Watch School Focus beginning Monday, January 23.

1/20/06