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CHARLESTON, WV — The Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs (HHOMA) will host an award ceremony to celebrate the student winners of the Project on Racism Contest and 39th Annual Poster Competition. The ceremony can be viewed Saturday, Jan. 14 at 12 p.m. on HHOMA’s Facebook page or on Monday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. from WV Public Broadcasting, the West Virginia Channel.“The young people in our state have creativity and passion for the arts,” said HHOMA Executive Director and Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission Chair Jill Upson. “We are honored to take part in recognizing them, what they have to say and what they have achieved.”Essays | Music | FilmThe Project on Racism Contest was presented by the Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission and the YWCA Wheeling. Entries were accepted for essays, music, and five-minute films and was open to any student from grades 1-12 attending public, private, parochial, or home school in West Virginia.All entries must have focused on the following quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”Award recipients for each category are listed below.Essay Award Recipients:Grade K-51st Place Easton ShrewsburyPineville Elementary School, 3rd Grade2nd PlaceSpencer Benedict Bethlehem Elementary, 4th Grade3rd Place Kai’Veah Miles-BanksMadison Elementary School, 5th GradeGrade 6-81st Place Amelia CopneyTriadelphia Middle School, 7th Grade2nd Place Brenna TiptonTriadelphia Middle School, 7th Grade3rd PlaceFinnegan GilbertTriadelphia Middle School 7th GradeGrade 9-121st Place Char CanestraroWheeling Central Catholic High School, 12th Grade2nd PlacePeyton SmithWheeling Central Catholic High School, 12th Grade3rd Place Payton HildebrandWheeling Central Catholic High School, 12th GradeFilm Award RecipientsK-5th Grade1st PlaceEllie BreitengerWest Liberty Elementary2nd Place Maddy JohnstonWest Liberty Elementary3rd Place Lily Och & Abigail SondaWest Liberty ElementaryGrade 9-121st PlaceWheeling Central Catholic High School2nd PlaceWheeling Park High SchoolSong Award Recipients1st PlaceAnthony SmithWheeling Park High School, 12th Grade2nd PlaceTriton Brown, Mason Donaldson, Konner Hunter, Wyatt O’HaraWest Liberty ElementaryPoster ArtworkThe Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission and the Beta Beta Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, presented the 39th annual Poster Competition.West Virginia students from grades K-12 could enter the poster competition. The art must have focused on the following quote from Martin Luther King Jr.:“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”Poster award recipients:Grade 9-121st PlaceSerenity G. TorresScott High School, 12th Grade2nd PlaceLiam J. SadlerHuntington High School, 10th Grade3rd Place Carter Adam BrowningLincoln County High School, 9th GradeGrade 3-51st PlaceEaston Griffith, 5th GradeHerndon Consolidated Elementary School2nd PlaceKennedy G. Blankenship, 3rd GradePineville Elementary3rd Place Jaclyn Simpson, 5th Grade Herndon Consolidated Elementary SchoolGrade K-21st PlaceWestson J. Smith, 2nd GradePineville Elementary2nd Place Paisley B. Paynter, 2nd GradeBerlin McKinney Elementary 3rd Place Nicholle Faith Browning, 2nd GradeBerlin McKinney ElementaryMixed Media Grade 9-121st Place Elizabeth F. Williams Independence High School, 11th Grade 2nd Place Ethan P. Watts Point Pleasant High School, 9th Grade 3rd Place Brycen A. MorrisPoint Pleasant High School, 12th grade |