FaithBridge MLK Essay Contest to explore 'Honestly Confronting Racism'

FaithBridge, a consortium of faith-based communities in McHenry and Lake Counties and the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, invites all youth in sixth to eighth grade (or age equivalent) to participate in the 2017 essay contest to commemorate the work of Martin Luther King Jr.

This year's essay contest theme is: "Honestly Confronting Racism." Students are asked to answer one of the following questions: 1. What can I do in my school or town to help end racism? 2. How does racism hurt me and the people I care about? How does it hurt people I've never met?

Each essay must be 300-350 words long, and submitted no later than Thursday, Dec. 15, to faithbridgeessay@gmail.com.

The winner will be awarded $50, plus two tickets to the seventh annual Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Prayer Breakfast on Monday, Jan. 16. It will be 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at D'Andrea Banquets, 4419 Route 14 in Crystal Lake. The winner will read her or his essay as part of the program.

The theme for this year's Interfaith Prayer Breakfast is " Honestly Confronting Racism." The program will include a call to prayer plus group prayer with participants from a variety of local faith traditions including Islamic, Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, Christian and New Thought.

Phyllis Unterschuetz, author and co-founder/president of the Race Story ReWrite Project, will be the keynote speaker.

FaithBridge seeks to promote mutual understanding and respectful relationships among diverse religious communities; to develop interfaith communication, understanding, cooperation, spiritual practice and action; to foster a network of community religious leaders; to create opportunities for interreligious learning, fellowship and dialogue; and to nurture a culture of justice, peace, and healing among all religious communities. Visit www.faithbridgeinterfaith.org or www.facebook.com/FaithbridgeIllinois/.