The Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project is honored and excited to congratulate the ten winners of our 2024 Racial Justice Essay and Creative Arts contest. Prince George’s County high school public, private, or homeschooled students were invited to submit an essay, creative writing, or visual artwork that addressed an historical or current racial justice issue. Over 80 entries were received from seven high schools across the county.
The students were celebrated at an awards program attended by their families, friends, teachers, and community members held at the Greenbelt Community Center on June 15, 2024. Students presented their inspiring essays, creative writing, and artwork to audience applause. Winners received certificates, commendations from local elected officials, and scholarships ranging from $1000 for first place to $100 for honorable mention.
We thank the Greenbelt Black History & Culture Committee, Greenbelt Recreation Department, and the City of Greenbelt for sponsoring our awards ceremony and Greenbelt Access Television for recording the ceremony.
We are especially grateful for the donations from community individuals and organizations that made the scholarships possible. We commend every student who entered their justice reflections in our contest.
We share the full list of 2024 contest winners here:
Creative Writing
| Name | Award | Title | School |
| Shana McFadden | 1st Place | “Oh Innocent Emmett” | Suitland High School |
| Marli Jones | 2nd Place | “The Pipeline” | Frederick Douglass High School |
| Mikayla Hollis | 3rd Place | “The School to Prison Pipeline” | Eleanor Roosevelt High School |
Essay
| Name | Award | Title | School |
| Janelle Bassole | 1st Place | “A Practice Built Off the Back of Suffering” | Laurel High School |
| Emmanuella Umoh | 2nd Place | “The Power of Representation: Illuminating Paths to Racial Justice Through Media” | College Park Academy |
| Anike Akinfolarin | 3rd Place | “The Power of Representation: Illuminating Paths to Racial Justice Through Media” | Charles Herbert Flowers High School |
Visual Arts
| Name | Award | Title | School |
| Onyekachukwu Roland Akwara | 1st Place | “Justice for Our People” | Charles Herbert Flowers High School |
| Jaelynn Walker | 2nd Place | “Bars of Freedom” | Chesapeake Math & IT Academy North High School |
| Tyla Inyamah | 3rd Place | “Slave to Miseducation” | Charles Herbert Flowers High School |
| Seanna Daye | Honorable Mention | “BLM Memorial” | Chesapeake Math & IT Academy North High School |