Feature Image: MLK 2025 orators await the results. Photo by Raven Andrews.
The Prince William County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., is hosting its 41st
Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Oratorical Competition and Program on Monday, January 19,
2026, at 11 a.m. The program will be held at Mt. Zion Baptist Church located at 18410 Chapel Street,
Triangle, VA 22172. The doors open at 10 a.m. and special parking will be held until 11:15 a.m. The
snow date for the event is Saturday, January 24, 2026, at the same location.
The oratorical contest celebrates students’ creative thinking and their public speaking skills as well as
the oratorical legacy of Dr. King. The topic for this year’s orations is “Awakening the Dream: Breaking
Barriers in the Fight for Justice and Unity.” This resonates deeply with the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. because many of his speeches touch on justice, unity, and the “dream” of a better, more equitable
future.
Six regional competition winners, three middle school and three high school students, selected from
Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park will take the stage. Organizers anticipate that their
speeches will be enthralling and MLK Youth Community choir and other youth participants will make
this celebration an uplifting experience for the community.
This event is one of the oldest and largest celebrations of Dr. King’s legacy in the DC metro area.
Beginning in 1985, it was the first community service project of the newly chartered Prince William
Alumnae Chapter, and the program predates the first national King Day recognition in 1986.