Dallas ISD William Brown Miller Fourth-grader Jasira King wins top prize in MLK Jr. Oratory finals

The winner of the 27th annual Dallas Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition is Jasira King, a fourth-grader at William Brown Miller Elementary School.

The second-place finisher is Tory Robertson Jr. of Clara Oliver Elementary School; third place went to Tynia Matts, a fifth-grader at John Neely Bryan Elementary School.

Competitors write, memorize and deliver the speeches based on the theme. This year, students were asked to provide their takes on “What would Dr. Martin Luther King say to the children of today’s world?”

Campus winners from the 16 participating schools advanced to the semifinals, which were conducted in December. The top eight in that round advanced to the finals. The remaining five finalists are:

• Kaiya Hudson, fifth grade, Charles Rice Learning Center

• Layla James, fifth grade, Ronald E. McNair Elementary

• Presley Rivers, fifth grade, Harry C. Withers Elementary

• Kimberli Rouwtt, fourth grade, J.P. Starks Math, Science and Technology Vanguard

• Alexandra Torres, fifth grade, Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary The event is sponsored by law firm Foley Gardere.