Creative works by Fredonia students that expose injustice are being sought for the 18th Annual Rosa Parks Scholarship Competition. The Center for Multicultural Affairs at Fredonia is sponsoring the competition and accepting entries until March 2. Three equal prizes of $350 will be awarded at an the annual Rosa Parks Scholarship Awards Ceremony at Thursday, April 5, at 5 p.m., when the winners will present or perform their works.
The competition—established in 1989—honors the memory of Rosa Parks, an African American civil rights activist and seamstress whom the U.S. Congress dubbed the "Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement.”
Competition submissions must focus on multiculturalism or cultural pluralism and can take many forms, but should be “provocative, original, take full advantage of the medium selected and have some intellectual or emotional impact.”
Submissions can focus on a local, national or global injustice that the student would like to discuss without fear of censorship.
“We encourage all entrants to expose injustice, just like Rosa Parks did, by writing about their fears, singing about suffering, showing their pain in a painting, or expressing their feelings through any variety of other media,” says Michael Mendez, graduate assistant at the Center for Multicultural Affairs.
Submissions can be in written form, with a maximum length of 10 pages, in a variety of genres, including non-fiction, research paper, fiction, short story, poetry or essay. Other forms for submissions include multimedia presentations, films and videos, dance, musical compositions, performance art, paintings, comedic or theatrical presentation, sculpture or photographic presentations, which must be accompanied by slides.
All submissions must be accompanied by an entry form and must include a typed statement reflecting the content of the work. Written submissions must be double-spaced, typewritten and not exceed 10 pages. All 2D/3D work must be submitted in its original form to the Center for Multicultural Affairs. Any performances or multimedia presentations need to be submitted on videotape and cannot exceed 10 minutes.
All currently enrolled Fredonia students are eligible to participate in this competition, with the exception of previous Rosa Parks Scholarship winners and anyone who is a professional (defined as one who has been paid for any type of published work within the last five years). Awards are contingent upon the winner being available to present their entry on the day of the ceremony. All entrants’ names will appear in the program.
For more information, call Mr. Mendez at 716-673-3398 or visit the center's website.
