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The Barbara Jordan Project, created in honor of the legendary Texas Congresswoman and orator, consists of a speech and essay competition for middle school students. Since October, HYLA members have been actively involved in judging the preliminary speech and essay competitions. During the Finale, each finalist will deliver an original speech and compete for cash, U.S. Savings Bonds, and other prizes. The audience will also enjoy a performance of Barbara Jordan: Texas Treasure, the Alley's one-woman touring show about Ms. Jordan's young life, featuring Houston actress Ann C. James.
The Barbara Jordan Project works with eleven year-old girls to help prepare them for an extemperaneous speaking competition.
Barbara Jordan Project mentors students
This year, HYLA attorneys are participating in The Barbara Jordan Project. Each year, the Alley Theatre, with assistance from the Houston business community, honors Barbara Jordan, the legendary Texas Congresswoman and orator, with a three part project offered to Houston area middle schools. Judge Jennifer Elrod and Norma Bennett head up this effort for HYLA during its first year of involvement with the Barbara Jordan Project. The Barbara Jordan Project involves:
(1) The touring one-woman play Barbara Jordan: Texas Treasure by Glenda Dickerson and Lynda Gravátt profiles the young Ms. Jordan growing up in the Fifth Ward, attending Texas Southern University and Boston University Law School and being elected, on her third attempt to the Texas State Legislature in 1968.
(2) An essay contest for all Houston area middle school students that asks them to consider the life and words of Ms. Jordan and reflect on their relevance to young people today. (Attorneys from HYLA will judge the essays.)
(3) The annual Barbara Jordan Memorial Speech Competition for middle school students.
The essay contest and Speech Competition previously had been open only to female students, but this year, young men will also be invited to participate.
The Speech Competition begins with at two-day public speaking clinic for teachers facilitated by Professor Glenda Dickerson from the University of Michigan. The teachers then work with their students on public speaking in the fall semester and select one or two students to mentor through the speech competition. Approximately fifty students will compete in the preliminary round of the competition. Several of the speeches last year covered legal issues and civics (current affairs) issues. Prior to the start of the competition, there is a public speaking workshop for the students during which they will further hone their public speaking skills. Attorneys from HYLA will act as coaches during the workshop.
As mentioned above, this year, the Barbara Jordan Project is expanding to include opportunities for young men in addition to young women. As part of that expansion, there was a reception in honor of Dr. Thomas F. Freeman, Barbara Jordan's debate coach at Texas Southern University. The participants, teachers and their families were also invited. Dr. Freeman was present and addressed the crowd of approximately 100 students and teachers.
HYLA has been extensively involved in the mentoring aspects of this project. HYLA attorneys also act as judges for the preliminary competition. From these fifty students, eight finalists have been selected. Each finalist will meet and lunch with HYLA attorneys to learn about the legal profession and prepare for the finals. These mentoring lunches will expose young people the legal profession, and are a critical part of HYLA's involvement.
The Barbara Jordan project will conclude early next month with an event on the Alley's Large Stage when the eight finalists in the speech competition present their speeches before a panel of celebrity judges, prizes are awarded and the winners of the essay competition are announced and recognized. The public is invited to the finals which celebrate both the compelling legacy of Barbara Jordan and the achievements of the young people she inspires. The finals coincide with the beginning of Black History Month.
Here are the Barbara Jordan Project Deadlines:
Deadline for Eassy Competition Submissions: March 24, 2008
Essay Winners Notified: May 1, 2008
Preliminary Rounds of Speech Competition: April 18-19, 2008
Final Round of Speech Competition: May 10, 2008
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