Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs Story Archives

Students Encouraged To Submit Artwork For MLK Creative Contest

West Virginia students have a chance to create original art and essays that celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for the annual creative contests.

The contests, which have been conducted for more than 30 years, are a collaboration between the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs and the Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission. Students are invited to submit original posters, art, music, films, or essays.

This year, students taking part in the Essay, Music and Film Contests are asked to reflect on the quote: “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

Those taking part in the Poster Contest must focus on the Martin Luther King, Jr. quote: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Jill Upson, executive director of the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs and chair of the Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission said the variety of formats reflects the work students are already doing in their classrooms.

“What’s nice about accepting the different formats, the watercolor, the acrylic, the mixed media, is that these are all styles that they’re taught in their schools,” she said. “Their teachers, a lot of times can kind of assist them and answer questions that they might have while they’re preparing their submissions for the contest.”

Upson said the competition is a great opportunity not only for students to learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. but also to showcase their talents and gifts.

“Having this contest is just an annual opportunity for a new generation of students to learn more about Martin Luther King, and then for the teachers as well to reinforce the lessons that they have been teaching about every year regarding Martin Luther King, Jr,” she said.

Upson said she is always impressed by students’ creativity and encourages all students to submit.

“We post all of the posters on easels around the West Virginia Culture Center, so that during January and February, people can go there and see the work that the kids have done,” she said. “I’m always impressed with all of their artwork.”

Winners will be announced before the end of December 2023 and will be invited to participate in the Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission Awards Luncheon on January 14, 2024.

“Don’t assume that it’s going to just be the cream of the crop,” Upson said. “As far as the entries that we receive, we want to see everyone’s entries, we want to see this art. Everyone has something to offer.”

Creative Works Inspired By Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sought For 2022 Project On Racism

The 2022 Project on Racism is calling on West Virginia students to create original works to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

There are two opportunities. The first is a call to submit essays, music, and five-minute films organized by the Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission and the YWCA of Wheeling.

All essays, music, and film entries must be received before midnight on Nov. 15.

Any student from grades 1-12 attending public, private, parochial, or home school in West Virginia may enter. Students under the age of 20 enrolled in a high school correspondence / Test Assessing Secondary Completion program also qualify to compete.

All entries must focus on the following quote from Martin Luther King Jr.:

“The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.”

Entries may be submitted by U.S. Postal Service, fax, email, or hand delivery. Each entry must be accompanied by a completed contact information form and the original work. All entries in this category must be received before midnight Monday, Nov. 15.

Winners will be announced before the end of December 2021 and will be invited to participate in a Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs virtual event in January 2022.

The second opportunity is the 38th annual poster contest, sponsored by the Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission and the Beta Beta Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

West Virginia students from grades K-12 may enter the poster contest. The art must focus on the following quote from Martin Luther King Jr.:

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Posters must incorporate the quote. Although the artwork must be original, teachers are encouraged to assist students with developing original slogans or captions used in the poster.

The entry may be in any format. The piece can be created with pencil, crayon, pen and ink, watercolor, acrylic, serigraph woodblock, photography, or mixed media. The artist must explain the style and the selected media on the entry form, which must be taped to the back of the artwork. Entries without this information will be disqualified.

Submissions in this category must be postmarked on or before Wednesday, Dec. 1. Judging begins Dec. 2. Winning entries will be exhibited at the Great Hall of the West Virginia Culture Center from January 2022 to February 2022. The Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission will also create a 2022 calendar using the winning entries from the poster contest and winners will be invited to participate in the January 2022 virtual event.

Guidelines and entry forms for all the contests can be found on the MLK Commission tab on HHOMA’s website at minorityaffairs.wv.gov.

Performers Sought for Virtual Juneteenth Celebration

The Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs is looking for performers for the upcoming Juneteenth Celebration.

Vocalists, bands, poets, dancers, choirs, and musicians can apply to be part of the upcoming, virtual event.

The 2021 event will premiere on Facebook and West Virginia Public Broadcasting on Saturday, June 19.

Juneteenth commemorates the 1865 announcement by Union Army Gen. Gordon Granger, proclaiming freedom from slavery in Texas.

President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had outlawed slavery almost two and a half years earlier but enforcement there was slow and inconsistent before Granger’s announcement.

Entries will be accepted through May 15.

All content submissions must meet the following guidelines:

Content must be original work.
Content must be suitable for family entertainment and free from profanity.
Videos must be no longer than two minutes.
Videos should be filmed in horizontal/landscape orientation.
Audio should be clear and easy to hear with minimal background noise.

Those who are interested can submit an online application here.

More information for performers and event updates will be published online.

Minority Affairs Office Official: No Plans to Step Down

The executive director of an office charged with reviewing research on policies that disproportionately affect minority populations says she doesn’t plan to step down after a coalition of about 30 members of progressive and racial justice groups held a press conference calling for her removal.

Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs Executive Director Jill Upson tells the Register-Herald she would agree to a sit-down meeting with those concerned.

NAACP representatives and others held signs Tuesday outside the office in the West Virginia Capitol. Governor Jim Justice recently appointed Upson to lead the office that’s also charged with applying for and awarding grants, and making recommendations to the governor and Legislature.

Some said they didn’t support the appointment for reasons, including a voter ID law she supported. The Henderson Family has also requested that Justice rescind the appointment.

Outgoing W.Va. Lawmakers Gaunch and Upson to Head State Offices

A pair of West Virginia Republican lawmakers who lost reelection bids in November will fill two open cabinet positions.

Gov. Jim Justice appointed outgoing House of Delegates member Jill Upson to fill the position of executive director of the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs. That office was previously headed by Bill White, who said the governor fired him after he was accused of sexual harassment this fall.

Upson is from Jefferson County. She was the first Republican African-American woman to be elected to the House and was the Vice Chair of the House Banking committee. She also served on the Joint Select Committee on the Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse.

Justice also appointed outgoing state Senate member Ed Gaunch of Kanawha County to fill the position of state Secretary of Commerce. That office has had an interim leader since Woody Thrasher stepped down in June amid controversy about the RISE flood recovery program.

Gaunch chaired the Senate Government Organization committee and was Vice Chair on the Finance, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Pensions committees.

Both Upson and Gaunch were defeated in the November midterm election by Democrats. They will assume their new roles in January.

**Editor’s Note: The headline and story were edited to clarify Gaunch and Upson as “outgoing” state lawmakers. The story incorrectly stated they were “former” state lawmakers.

Weirton Minority Tour Highlights Racial Justice Concerns

The Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs visited Weirton, West Virginia, Thursday, Aug. 17, to hear concerns of minority residents in the Northern Panhandle. Some residents are worried about violence erupting in the state in response to neo-nazi rallies in Charlottesville.

Dr. William White is the executive director of the Office of Minority Affairs. He says so far during listening tours, minority constituents have shared the same concerns as the general public: job creation, youth retention, infrastructure, and the opioid epidemic. But the meeting in Weirton was different.

Resident Matthew Wyatt brought up several race-related concerns. Among them, his observations of death threats directed toward participants of a Black Lives Matter event scheduled for this weekend in Charleston in response to rallies held by neo-nazi and other hate groups in Charlottesville during the weekend of Aug. 11.

“I’m not sure if anything’s been done about that,” Wyatt said afterwards. “I’m not sure that anyone’s aware of it. And I saw a chance to make sure they heard about it hear.”

Members of the minority affairs office assured Wyatt and attending residents that they would speak with Capitol police about the threats. This is the third of five tour stops planned throughout the state this year.