2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, legislation that ended segregation and strived to end inequality. Since then, we have made significant strides in the pursuit of equality yet there is still much work to be done. In March of this 2014, OC Human Relations invited 8-12 graders to prepare a short, inspirational speech about the legacy of the Civil Rights Act and the impact you hope to make in creating equality for all.
On April 10, members of OC Human Relations Board chose Andres Guerrero, a junior at Anaheim’s Loara High School, as the winner of the 2014 Youth Speak contest. Andres will receive a $500 scholarship and deliver his speech at OC Human Relations Legacy Awards on May 8 at the City National Grove of Anaheim.
Andres closed his speech with these words:
“The time has come for us to finish the dream of equality for all. If we do as such, we will set off a chain reaction of action. We can… we must… we will make the dream of eliminating inequality, prejudice, intolerance, and discrimination of the Civil Rights Movement and Civil Rights Act… a reality”. Click here to read a full transcript of his speech and/or watch the video below.
The 2014 YouthSpeak runners up are: Sarah Jones-Smith, an 8th grader at Oxford Academy
and Michael Freeman, a 10th grader at Canyon High School.
And, be sure to checkout the speeches from previous years by clicking on the YouthSpeak links on the menu to the left.
