COLUMBUS—March 27, 2014—Noah Clifton, a fourth-grade student at Waverly Intermediate Elementary School, is the 2014 winner of the Ohio Education Association (OEA) Black History Month essay contest that asked students “What Freedom Means to me as we honor Black History Month.” OEA President Becky Higgins visited Waverly Intermediate Elementary School to present Noah with a $50 check, a book about black history and a celebratory pizza party for him and his classmates.
Clifton, a student of OEA member Dawn Malone-Smith, won the Black History Month essay contest for his essay on Freedom Soldiers. Ohio students in grades 4-6 were eligible to compete.
As part of its recognition of Black History Month, OEA aired a radio commercial in which Noah read the following excerpt from his winning essay: “Black History month makes me think about people like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, whose courageous acts made freedom possible for so many more people. As we celebrate Black history Month, I hope everyone thinks about the important rights we enjoy today and the sacrifices others have made for us.”
The essay contest provides students with the opportunity to learn more about African-American contributions and the achievement of freedom against many odds. It also showcases the students’ creativity and talent.
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The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
CONTACT: Michele Prater
614-227-3071; cell 614-378-0469, praterm@ohea.org