NCCU Oratorical Winners to Present Speeches Sunday

Despite the span of four decades between her and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., fourth-grader Grace Bishop understands him and his message.

Bishop won the first through fifth grade category in the North County Churches Uniting for Racial Harmony and Justice’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical competition.

The other winners in the competition, by grade or age level include:

• Grades 6-8: Wynter March,

• Grades 9-12: Kourtney Harvey, ; David Kirkman,

• Adult: Rashawn Johnson, Teacher, Berkeley Middle School

This year’s theme was Dr. King’s Unfinished Business: Promoting Economic Empowerment.

“It feels like I’m really important; that I did something that everyone is proud of me for,” Bishop said. “I used a few of Dr. King’s quotes that he said to economically empower others.”

said that this is the first time so many winners had come from their district -- four out of the five winners. Bishop attends Lawson in the .

Each winner received a $100 U.S. Savings Bond.

All of the winners will present their speeches at the at Sunday.