Local student to be recognized for winning essay honoring civil rights leader
VICTORVILLE, Calif. — On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the City of Victorville will host a plaque unveiling ceremony to recognize the student winner of its annual Civil Rights Memorial Essay Contest. The unveiling ceremony will take place Monday, Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. during the Commemorative Peace March Program hosted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. at Victorville City Hall, 14343 Civic Drive.
During the ceremony, the student will read their winning essay and the City will dedicate a bronze plaque to memorialize the civil rights leader honored in the student’s essay.
This is the ninth year the City of Victorville has hosted its Civil Rights Memorial Essay Contest to celebrate those who have contributed to advancing the civil rights of all people. Fifth and sixth grade students throughout the City of Victorville are invited to compete in the annual contest.
Plaques recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Asa Philip Randolph, Frederick Douglass, Cesar Chavez, Harriet Tubman, Lucy Burns, Jackie Robinson, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Frances EW Harper are currently displayed at the memorial.
This year’s plaque is sponsored by Advanced Medical and Kidney Institute led by Dr. Sunil H. Patel. Notably, Dr. Patel’s son, Sohan won the City’s Civil Rights Memorial Essay Contest in 2021 for his essay about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
For additional information or to become a sponsor of future Civil Rights Memorial plaques, call (760) 955-3306 or visit VictorvilleCA.gov/civilrightsmemorial.
