ALI Oratorical Contest

2020 was a very challenging year for people of color, especially for the Black community. The death of George Floyd sparked a movement that was reflected all around the world. People of all races, ages, and backgrounds came together to fight for equality for the Black community. In what ways can students continue to be engaged with the “Black Lives Matter” movement on college campuses; particularly, Predominately White Institutions, PWI?

• The immigration crisis in the United States has gained a lot of attention since 2000 and has caused further strife on the political spectrum in our two party dominant electoral system. Further rise of the issue is constantly foreshadowed with the coming 2020 presidential election, will this take away or aid the fight against systemic racism against African Americans in our country.

• The student debt crisis is climbing and with conflicting ideologies on how to solve it, like Bernie Sander’s full student debt canceling legislation or Kamala Harris’s plan for qualifying business owners to have their debt cancelled, how does this specifically affect African Americans hoping to pursue higher ed degrees?

• The Social Security Board of Trustees reported that Social Security will be depleted by the year 2035, resulting in a depletion in federal funds for retirement and disability payments. Due to the significant impact that this will have on retirement savings, millennials and generation z should expect to experience this substantial income reduction. With this in mind, what steps should future generations take to secure financial stability in their retirement years.

• Statistics show that African Americans are more likely to have feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness than their counterparts. However, due to the stigma regarding mental health in the Black community, many are apprehensive in getting treatment or refuse; resulting in negative coping behaviors. With this in mind, what should be considered in bringing more awareness about mental health within the Black community as well as reversing the stigma of treatment?

The “Make America Great Again,” slogan has thousands if not millions of people wondering when America was ever great to start with. President Donald Trump has incited much tension amongst various groups with this biased slogan, and legislative actions in regards of it. Such as building a wall in hopes to keep immigrants southern of it from entering the United States, deporting parents and leaving children alone to be wards of the state amongst many other issues. As a leader in the black community what actions can you take to help Make America Great from your Lens, and to best fit all communities?

The “Make America Great Again,” slogan has thousands if not millions of people wondering when America was ever great to start with. President Donald Trump has incited much tension amongst various groups with this biased slogan, and legislative actions in regards of it. Such as building a wall in hopes to keep immigrants southern of it from entering the United States, deporting parents and leaving children alone to be wards of the state amongst many other issues. As a leader in the black community what actions can you take to help Make America Great from your Lens, and to best fit all communities?

The educational achievement gap is a vastly growing problem currently in America. Socioeconomic status is a key indicator to the resources and opportunities available to students and contributes to the means of educational achievement. According to the American Psychological Association, “Children from low-SES families enter high school with average literacy skills five years behind those of high-income students.” The success rate of low-income students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines is much lower than that of students who do not come from underrepresented backgrounds (Doerschuk et al., 2016).

Being that you are a collegiate leader, what steps would you take to bridge the educational gap and help low-socioeconomic and underrepresented families build up their resources to have equal achievement and educational opportunities of their high-income counterparts?

With the issues the Black community is facing, the day and age we live in is beginning to mirror the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. During the Civil Rights movement, and in the decades after, people and groups represented different methods of achieving Black liberation. One answer to these issues was brought about by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who advocated for nonviolent resistance. Malcolm X’s answer to these issues was to achieve freedom by any means necessary, including separatism and self-preservation. The Black Panthers had many different tactics which included economic reform and education, however they did not shy away from using violence in the name of self-preservation and self-defense.

While many people, regardless of their race, say Dr. King’s path to freedom was the correct way, some historians say that his method of achieving freedom was only successful due to the work of Malcolm X. When we view American history with a larger scope, we see other American groups bring about political and societal change through revolt and war. As we hope to solve these problems that plague the Black community, can you say that we can only employ the methods of Dr. King or can an argument be made for other forms of protest, including violent protest?

Guns are expected to become a leading cause for the number of American deaths in 2015, surpassing car crashes. Gun violence directly disproportionately affects the African-American population more in comparison to their White and Hispanic counterparts.

With guns assisting in the killing of blacks due to homicide at twice the rate of whites who are using guns to commit suicide, it is becoming increasingly apparent that gun violence varies across racial boundaries. What should the government’s role be in balancing the safety of our nation’s citizens while preserving our constitutional rights? How do we as African-Americans mobilize to protect our community from threats of high concern such as gun violence?

Homicide is the leading cause of death amongst African American youth ages 15-24. Black youth are 10 times more likely to be victims of homicide than their white peers.  On August 9, 2014 an unarmed 18-year old African American male, Michael Brown, was shot 6 times and killed by a white police officer, Darren Wilson, as Brown and a friend were approaching the sidewalk. After his death the photos of Brown that were used, not only, portrayed a negative image of Brown; but young black males over all. Mainstream media and commercial advertising continue to portray African-Americans in stereotypical roles with anti-black images. How did you believe the media framed the shooting of Michael brown and why? Do you believe this situation stood for the justice and equality our nation prides itself on?

Participants MUST email ([email protected]): a copy of their speech, and a list of references used in their speech by TBD.. The speech should be 3 to 5 minutes and must discuss the oratorical contest topic chosen for this year.. Participants will be judged on their creativity, content, research, and overall presentation. Profanity and plagiarism are grounds for expulsion from the contest. You may have a maximum of 5 notecards to assist you during your speech. Appropriate, business professional attire is required, no costumes are allowed.

The winning speech will be chosen after judge deliberations. In order for the winner to receive his/her prize, they must fill out the W-9 forms they will receive. The winner will receive a $200.00 prize, and the honor of introducing the keynote speaker during the closing banquet.

Please contact Sheffiyat Salawu, Director of A.L.I., at [email protected] if you have any questions.