Each year, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) selects faculty, staff, and students who demonstrate their commitment to direct action to increase equity, diversity, and inclusion as envisioned by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This year, in celebration of Dr. King and of Black History Month, we also invite youth with a current or past connection to UMB through such programs as CURE (https://www.umaryland.edu/cure-scholars/), UMB Police Activities League (PAL), Summer U (https://www.umaryland.edu/summeru/), or Star Track (https://www.startrackhealth.org/community) to reflect on their commitment to equity, diversity, and justice and to the quote from Dr. King in the prompt below.  The winner of the MLK Youth Award will prerecord the performance to be played at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration event on February 6, 2024; they will also be featured on the website of the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; and they will receive a $300 prize.

Youth Award submissions must include a creative writing piece (spoken word, poem, song, or rap) that can be performed in less than five minutes. Please respond to the prompt below. A link to a video [YouTube or Vimeo] of the youth performing the spoken word, poem, song, or rap must be sent with the submission.

Creative writing prompt: What does the following quote mean to you in the context of yourself and your family, community, or neighborhood?

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

Letter from Birmingham, Alabama Jail, April 16, 1963.

 Eligibility Criteria:

1. Must live in Baltimore City.
2. Must demonstrate past or current participation in a UMB program such as CURES, PAL, Summer U, or Star Track.
3. Must be under the age of 25.
4. Must not have received the same award in the previous two years.
5. Contains no grammatical errors or profanity.
6. Must be able to submit a signed Release Form. If under 18, signed by parent/legal guardian.
7. If the youth is under 18, a parent/legal guardian's name, phone number, and email address.

Submission deadline: November 3, 2023

Download, complete, and submit Release Form with the submission below.