2015 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major for Justice Advocacy Competition

2015 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major for Justice Advocacy Competition

The Jackson County Bar Association invites high school juniors and seniors to submit an essay regarding the topic presented below.  The essay should not exceed 1000 words in length.  The essay should address the following question: 

In March 2014, The U.S. Department of Education released a survey of civil rights data showing that despite comprising only 18 percent of preschool children, African-Americans represented 42 percent of preschoolers suspended and nearly half of those preschoolers were suspended more than once.  Some argue that these students are funneled into the “pre-school to prison” pipeline.

If Martin Luther King, Jr. were alive, would he argue that school’s “zero-tolerance” policies fuel the “pre-school to prison” pipeline?  Would Dr. King say the “zero-tolerance” policies have gone too far? 

Please discuss why or why not.  

Participants will be competing for savings bonds/cash awards at the local and regional levels and college scholarships at the national level.  The deadline for essay submission is Monday, March 16, 2015.  Finalists will compete in the oral advocacy competition to be held on Saturday, April 4^th, 2015 at the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law located at 500 E. 52nd Street, Kansas City, Missouri  64110.  For more information, please contact Shaun Stallworth at (985) 768-8806 or by e-mail at shaun.stallworth@gmail.com.