The tournament was won by Deon Harris, a 9-year-old fourth-grader at Dallas ISD’s J.P. Starks Math, Science, and Technology Vanguard. Harris earned an iPad and $2,000 for taking first place.
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Fourth and fifth graders spoke at the 33rd Annual MLK Oratory competition on Friday.
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FOX 4’s Clarice Tinsley was the host for the event.
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9-year-old Deon Harris, a fourth grader at Dallas ISD’s J.P. Starks Math, Science and Technology Vanguard, won the competition. For winning first place, he received $2,000 and an iPad.
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Fourth and fifth graders spoke at the 33rd Annual MLK Oratory competition on Friday.
-
FOX 4’s Clarice Tinsley was the host for the event.
-
9-year-old Deon Harris, a fourth grader at Dallas ISD’s J.P. Starks Math, Science and Technology Vanguard, won the competition. For winning first place, he received $2,000 and an iPad.
DallasAt the 33rd annual MLK Jr. Oratory Competition held at the AT&T Performing Arts Center on Friday, eight Dallas ISD students paid tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy.
33rd Annual MLK Oratory Competition
On January 17, 2025, Dallas fourth and fifth graders take part in the annual MLK Oratory Competition.
Dallas pupils in the fourth and fifth grades advanced through a series of competitions that started on the school’s campus.
Videos submitted by over 100 kids from 20 DISD schools were selected for the competition, which subsequently produced 20 semi-finalists and the final eight.
“What would Dr. King tell us about our responsibility as citizens and leaders in America today?” is the competition’s 2025 theme.
The event was moderated by Clarice Tinsley of FOX 4.
MLK Oratory Competition Winner: Deon Harris
At the 33rd Annual MLK Oratory Competition, fourth-grader Deon Harris of JP Starks Math, Science, and Technology Vanguard delivers his winning speech.
The tournament was won by Deon Harris, a 9-year-old fourth-grader at Dallas ISD’s J.P. Starks Math, Science, and Technology Vanguard.
“I believe as [Dr. King] looks at our society, his heart would grieve, not just because of the state of America but because of the condition of America’s heart,” Harris stated in his address. “Although it is essential to our existence, the heart is not an isolated organ. In order for the remainder of the body to function, blood must be delivered to it via arteries and veins. However, the heart malfunctions when it is injured.
Deon earned an iPad and $2,000 for taking first place.
Deon, who also enjoys singing, admits that he was anxious before the competition but that he is now motivated to keep using his voice.
According to his father, his son worked very hard on his four-minute speech.
“It’s touching, I know he understands the content and seriousness of what he is saying, and I think everyone in the room felt that,” said Deon Harris, Sr.
History of MLK Oratory Competition
The backstory
Children are invited to present creative three- to five-minute speeches based on a pre-selected topic as part of the competition, which is sponsored by Foley & Lardner LLP and takes place in Dallas, Houston, and Chicago.
The speeches are intended to honor Dr. King’s enduring impact and show how his teachings motivate and impact their lives.
The goal of the tournament was to help elementary school pupils improve their writing and public speaking abilities.
There have been numerous success stories over the years, such as one participant who went on to play Broadway’s Tina Turner when she was younger.
The MLK Oratory Competition is the source of the information in this article.
