contests

2024 PGCLMP Essay and Creative Arts Contests Winners

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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.

Jaelynn Walker smiles with her artwork and award.
 Janelle Bassole challenges the audience with her essay.
Emmanuella Umoh’s impassioned presentation.

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.

Greenbelt Mayor Emmett Jordan welcoming the audience

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

NameAwardTitleSchool
Shana McFadden1st Place“Oh Innocent Emmett”Suitland High School
Marli Jones2nd Place“The Pipeline” Frederick Douglass High School
Mikayla Hollis3rd Place“The School to Prison Pipeline” Eleanor Roosevelt High School

Essay

NameAwardTitleSchool
Janelle Bassole1st Place“A Practice Built Off the Back of Suffering” Laurel High School
Emmanuella Umoh2nd Place“The Power of Representation: Illuminating Paths to Racial Justice Through Media”College Park Academy
Anike Akinfolarin3rd Place“Environmental Racism in Communities of Color”Charles Herbert Flowers High School

Visual Arts

NameAwardTitleSchool
Onyekachukwu Roland Akwara1st 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 Inyamah3rd Place“Slave to Miseducation”Charles Herbert Flowers High School
Seanna DayeHonorable Mention“BLM Memorial”Chesapeake Math & IT Academy North High School

2023 Racial Justice Essay and Creative Arts Contest Winners

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The Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project is honored and excited to congratulate the winners of our 2023 Racial Justice Essay and Creative Arts contest. Each of our nine award winners is a Prince George’s County high school public, private, or homeschooled student.

Winners Jessica Kennerly, A’nya Vest, Ismael Mercado Cruz, Tami Ademumo, Amber Ware, Dorothy Quanteh, Bria Pruden and Carissa Nwabueze pose with Greenbelt Mayor Emmet Jordan at the awards ceremony.

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 17, 2023. Students presented their essays, creative writing, and artwork to audience applause. 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.

Student winners received certificates and scholarship money for their future educational pursuits. In addition, winners were invited to attend the Hurston/Wright Foundation Summer Writer’s Workshop at Howard University. We are grateful for the donations from community individuals and organizations that made the scholarships possible. We commend all students who entered their justice reflections in our contest.

To watch a recording of the full awards ceremony, click here: https://youtu.be/vLOChpcgv0A

PGCLMP Co-Secretary Lula Beatty calls the names of the four documented lynching victims.
Bria Pruden, a student from Suitland High School, and the 3rd place visual arts contest entry.
First place essay contest winner Tami Ademumo of Frederick Douglass High School
Audience members listen to Sherri Arnold

A full list of this year’s winners can be found below.

Essay and Creative Writing Winners
Tami Ademumo1st PlaceFrederick Douglass High School
Dorothy Quanteh2nd PlaceCharles Herbert Flowers High School
Jessica Kennerly3rd PlaceSuitland High School
Amber WareHonorable MentionCharles Herbert Flowers High School
Emani Rose-LouisHonorable MentionFrederick Douglass High School
Visual Arts Winners
Carissa Nwabueze1st PlaceEleanor Roosevelt High School
Ismael Mercado Cruz2nd PlaceFrederick Douglass High School
Bria Pruden3rd PlaceSuitland High School
A’nya VestHonorable MentionFrederick Douglass High School

PGC LMP Essay and Creative Arts Contests Winners

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The Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project is honored and excited to congratulate the winners of our racial justice essay contest and our racial justice creative arts contest. Each of our winners is a student at a high school in Prince George’s County.

Students who won the essay and creative arts contest pose with award plaques and certificates around a posterboard for PGC LMP
Chelsea Nelson, from left, Chase Matthews, Kai Lampley, Anise Lampley, Miso Abitria, Aleila Rankin, and Diana Osuji (on behalf of Stephanie Osuji) accepted their awards from Greenbelt Mayor Emmett Jordan (back center).

Members of our coalition celebrated the winners and their families at two county Juneteeth events: a display table at the county Parks and Recreation Department festival and an awards ceremony held at the Greenbelt Community Center. It was great for us to gather in person after a long pandemic season of meeting virtually, and it was even better to hear from the talented students who took part in our contests.

Diana Osuji shares a moment of joy with Greenbelt Mayor Emmett Jordan, left, and PGC LMP member Dr. Lois Rosado.
Miso Abitria, a student at Charles Herbert Flowers High School, reads from her 3rd place essay.
PGC LMP member Pat Neal talks with attendees at the award ceremony as she staffs the information booth.
People sit in two rows of chairs watching a woman in front of a projector making a presentation.
PGC LMP Co-Secretary Lula Beatty gives remarks at the awards ceremony.
More photos are available on our Facebook page!

Thanks go to the city of Greenbelt for providing space for us to host our awards ceremony and to Greenbelt Access Television (GATe) for broadcasting and recording the ceremony; to our sponsor of the essay contest, the Equal Justice Initiative; and to the co-sponsors of our creative arts contest, the Prince George’s County NAACP chapter and Joe’s Movement Emporium; and to our guest judges from the community who selected our winners.

Thank you as well to each of the students who entered these contests. Congratulations to the following students who were selected as winners. They received an award plaque or certificate as well as scholarship money for their future educational pursuits.

Essay Contest Winners

NameAwardSchool
Stephanie Osuji1st PlaceEleanor Roosevelt High School
Alyssa Liverman2nd PlaceDr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School
Miso Abitria3rd PlaceCharles Herbert Flowers High School
Aleila Rankin3rd PlaceOxon Hill High School
Ji’Mie WomackHonorable MentionCharles Herbert Flowers High School
Blessing NwokeHonorable MentionEleanor Roosevelt High School

Creative Arts Contest Winners

Name/Title of SubmissionAward/CategorySchool
Anise Lampley “Perennial Prejudice”1st place: Creative WritingOxon Hill High School
Chase Matthews “Hoodie”2nd place:  Creative WritingHome-schooled
Kai Lampley “The Tree of Cain”3rd place: Creative WritingOxon Hill High School
Chisom Amaikwu “When Race Clashes with Police”Honorable Mention:  Creative WritingAcademy of Health Sciences: Prince George’s County Community College
Nadia McCall “Gentrified”1st place: Visual ArtsCharles Herbert Flowers High School
Richard Martin “Lynching”2nd place: Visual ArtsLaurel High School
Seanna Harper “Her Life Mattered”3rd place:  Visual ArtsChesapeake Math and IT (CMIT) North
Momdjo Ashuakpa Windioscars Mbi “Environmental Racism”Honorable Mention: Visual ArtsCentral High School  
David Ingram “Justice”1st place: Spoken WordCharles Herbert Flowers High School
Chelsea Nelson “Black Baby’s First Misrepresentation”2nd place: Spoken WordCentral High School