Houston Elementary Students to Reflect on Dr. King’s Legacy at Foley’s 28th Annual MLK Jr. Oratory Competition

Fourth and fifth-graders will answer the question: “How would Dr. King reflect on the 60 years since his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech?”

2023 Houston Foley & Lardner MLK Jr. Oratory Competition 1st Place winner Kadence Smith, James H. Law Elementary School, 5th Grade

On Friday, Jan. 12, 12 fourth and fifth-grade students from Houston Independent School District (HISD) will vie for the coveted title at Foley & Lardner LLP’s 28th Annual MLK Jr. Oratory Competition.

These young orators will captivate the audience with their original three-to-five-minute speeches, tackling the thought-provoking question: “How would Dr. King reflect on the 60 years since his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech?”

CNN Video

Winning Speech – 2023 Houston Foley & Lardner MLK Jr. Oratory Competition

Congratulations to Kadence Smith, a student at James H. Law Elementary for delivering the winning speech in the 2023 Houston Foley & Lardner MLK Jr. Oratory Competition.

A total of 165 students from 20 HISD schools entered the competition, which began with in-school rounds in October and November, followed by a semifinal round in December to clinch one of the 12 spots in the final round.

Criteria for judging include delivery, stage presence and decorum, content interpretation, and memorization. The esteemed panel of judges includes:

*Dean Leonard M. Baynes – Dean and Professor of Law, University of Houston Law School

*Hon. George C. Hanks, Jr. – U.S. District Court Judge

*Hon. Yvonne Ho – U.S. Magistrate, Southern District of Texas

*Hon. Latosha Lewis Payne - 55th Civil District Court Judge

*Mr. Rayford O. Irvin – Houston District Office Director, EEOC

*Ms. Melanie Lawson – News Anchor and Reporter with ABC 13 KTRK-TV

*Ms. Yolanda Smith – Executive Director, Houston Chapter, NAACP

Watch last year’s winner of Foley’s Annual MLK Jr. Oratory Competition in Houston here.

Be a part of the conversation online with #FoleyMLK. Follow and tag Foley on Instagram @foleyandlardner and LinkedIn @Foley & Lardner LLP.

Friday, Jan. 12, 2024

10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Christ

500 Clay Street

Houston, TX 77002

Parking: Validations will be available for Allen Center Garage, across the street from the church.

Watch the livestream: https://www.houstonisd.org/LIVETV

In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, the competition is designed to highlight the cultural diversity of the community while recognizing and encouraging the writing and public speaking skills of elementary school students.

The competition was created in Dallas in 1993. The event's success led to the establishment of the Houston competition in 1997 and the Chicago competition in 2020. More than 300 students participated in this year’s competitions across all three cities.