Captivating the audience with an original monologue titled “Respect,” Severn Elementary School fifth-grader Greyson Herbert earned the top spot in the recent 2025 Martin Luther King, Jr., Oratorical Contest sponsored by the Anne Arundel Alliance of Black School Educators (AABSE).
Herbert’s work centered around fostering civility amid differing viewpoints, encouraging adults to model positive behavior for young people, and promoting respect through words, actions, and deeds.
Desola Awosika and Penelope Alvarez-Santiago, both fifth-graders at Waugh Chapel Elementary School, took second place with a powerful recitation of “Change Sings: A Children's Anthem” by Amanda Gorman. Skylar Barners, an eight-grader at Monarch Global Academy in Laurel, finished third with a moving performance of "And Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou.
Thirteen schools across the county held their own oratorical contests since January, with the top students at each school advancing to the county competition. Additionally, students whose school did not host their own competition were also able to participate through individual submissions directly to AAABSE. Students in prekindergarten through eighth grade were asked to select and perform a three- to five-minute published or original work in styles renowned orators like Dr. King, Abraham Lincoln, Gorman, Angelou and others have modeled.
All county elementary and middle schools were invited to participate. In total, the contest boasted 55 participants from 14 different schools.
The competition emphasized the importance of effective communication, self-expression, and leadership – skills that are crucial for academic and lifelong success.
For more information about AAABSE and its initiatives, go to www.AAABSEnetwork.com or send email to aaabsenetwork@gmail.com.
