LANSDALE – A series of events commemorating Black History Month will be held in the North Penn area this month.
The North Penn School District hosts its annual Black History Oratorical Competition. Students in grades 3 through 12 who were selected for the competition will deliver their speeches on Thursday, February 24 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at North Penn High School
The event is free and open to the public. Everyone is invited to take part in this inspiring and entertaining evening.
The competition, which has been running since 2019, aims to give North Penn students a chance to excel through public speaking while honoring black history. Students submitted video recitations of published speeches or poems by African American or Black leaders such as Maya Angelou, Michelle Obama, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson, or others.
A committee of diverse educators and community members selected the finalists to compete and deliver their speeches live. One student from each level (elementary, middle and high school) is chosen as the winner. The three winners will perform at the International Spring Festival at North Penn High School and videos of each competition are available on the district’s NPTV channel.
Students were selected to compete based on how their performance respects/honours Black history and embodies messages that inspire and encourage participants to keep making progress. The competition emphasizes that black history is not only about slavery and the civil rights movement, but also about reflecting the strength, endurance, imagination, responsibility, integrity and talent (SPIRIT) of people across the African diaspora. The 2020 winners delivered speeches by Maya Angelou, Rudy Francisco and Muhammed Ali.
To learn more about the Black History Oratorical Competition, visit www.NPenn.org.
Two events to commemorate the month will also be held at the Black Reserve Bookstore at 319 West Main Street in Lansdale. On February 12th from 12pm to 6pm, the store will be hosting a pre-Valentine’s Day pop-up sale, and on February 27th from 12pm to 5pm, the store will be hosting a Re-UP giveaway with free school supplies for those who are in have to.
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