Manhattan students are currently creating stories and artwork honoring the influence Martin Luther King Junior had in sparking change across the nation. In Manhattan, KS, we have an annual writing contest in his honor. “The mission of the Art and Writing contest is to engage community members in learning about, reflecting on and embracing the vision and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr,” Glymour said.

Students can compete for a cash prize and public recognition. This year the deadline to sign up for the contest is extended to Dec. 19th. The essays and art can be done individually or as a group. This year a new category was introduced. You can now enter with performance/3D art.

In a normal year, around 20-60 people sign up for the competition, but this year the numbers have dropped, most likely because of COVID- 19.

Along with the writing contest, there are other activities that happen in the town around MLK’s birthday. 

“This year, as every year, the Community Celebration is a free city event taking place on the Saturday before MLK Birthday, and the Prayer Breakfast takes place on MLK’s Birthday,” Susanne Glymour, the coordinator of the events, said.Every year, a quote from MLK is chosen, and students are given the opportunity to write a story.The quote for this year is, “Each of us is an architect faced with a task of drawing a blueprint for the building of our lives. What is in your life’s blueprint?”