On Saturday, January 14, 2023, the Alpha Alpha Lambda Scholarship and Educational Foundation of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. commemorated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with the 25th Anniversary of the Belford V. Lawson Oratorical Competition at Seton Hall University. Six young men, 7th & 8th grade students in Essex County, took to the stage as finalists delivering exceptional speeches on “Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Perspectives on the World Today”. For the past 25 years, this program has lifted the confidence, oratory skills, and passion of Essex County young men while ensuring the next generation never forgets the sacrifice and impact of civil rights icon and man of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Representing the best and brightest of Essex County, this year’s finalists were:
- Kevin Flores- Louise A. Spencer School (8th Grade) | Newark, NJ
- Dante Folson- Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts (8th Grade) | East Orange, NJ
- Luis Franco – Louise A. Spencer School (8th Grade) | Newark, NJ
- Amadu Musa – Louise A. Spencer School (8th Grade) | Newark, NJ
- Zachary Richardson – Far Brook School (8th Grade) | South Orange, NJ
- Mickerson Volcy- Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts (8th Grade) | East Orange, NJ
This year’s 1st place winner is Amadu Musa of Newark. Amadu is a member of the National Honor Society at Louise A. Spencer School in Newark and a participant in Project Alpha, a national program of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. that provides ongoing mentorship for young men.
