Young Student’s Powerful Speech Wins MLK Jr. Oratory Competition
Dallas fourth grader Blen Teklu acknowledges that hate, hurt and division exist in the world. Even during tough times, she proclaimed, people must solve “problems with love, not hate.”
The Preston Hollow Elementary student performed an electrifying speech inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. on Friday at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre Like the legendary orator, she believes in the power of words, leading her to include a poem she penned.
“I will dream and I will try to lift my voice and reach the sky. With hope and love, I will carry on, because the dream lives on and on,” she said, standing at the center of a stage illuminated by violet lights.
A banner with the face of the civil rights trailblazer hung behind Blen’s small frame. The microphone echoed her words across the auditorium to an audience made up of Dallas ISD students, teachers and parents.
The Competition
Blen won first place in the 34th annual MLK Jr. Oratory Competition, presented by Foley & Lardner LLP. Upon realizing she won, she gasped and her hand flew over mouth. She wiped away tears, noting afterward that she felt even happier than on her birthday.
Before the judges (right) and fellow contestants, Blen Teklu delivers her speech during the 34th annual MLK Jr. Oratory Competition in downtown Dallas on January 16, 2026. Eight fourth and fifth grade students from Dallas ISD competed for the top honor at the annual contest. Blen won the competition.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
The Message of Hope
The question posed to students this year was: “As a student of Dr. King’s life, what message of hope do you think he would have for the world today?” In Blen’s interpretation, she pronounced that hope is always present and encouraged people to speak up even when it’s not easy.
“[King would] tell us, ‘Don’t lose hope.’ Keep dreaming, keep working, keep loving. The world can still be better because of you,” she said at the conclusion of her speech — to an eruption of cheers from the audience.
Preparation and Practice
Before her speech reached the ears of this crowd, Blen’s mirror heard it first. She practiced every day after coming home from school, staring into her reflection, she said.
A Competition with a Rich History
The competition has roots in Dallas, starting off as a small gathering in a lunch room with a handful of students. Since its inception in 1993, the competition has expanded to Houston and Chicago.
While the competition has become a “bigger production,” its core mission has never changed: an opportunity to highlight the talent of Dallas ISD students, said Michael Newman, an attorney at Foley & Lardner LLP, who helps steer the competition.
“What I have seen over these last 30 years of watching the competition is the students will astound you,” he said. “You will be inspired. You will be astounded and you will want to come back year after year.”
Other Finalists and Winners
Initial competitions were held in the fall and semifinals in December, which narrows down the competitors to the eight finalists who performed Friday.
Cameron Kinder, a fourth grader at Clara Oliver Elementary School, won second place. Kennedy King, a fifth grader at Solar Preparatory School for Girls, won third place. The other finalists were: Maricruz Cano, Austin Goode, Marlie Jenkins, Audrey Soto and Destiny Williams.
Judges (from left) Rolando Blackman, Dalton Sherman, Ty Montgomery and DeMarcus Ware listen to Kennedy King, a 5th Grade Solar Preparatory School for Girls, compete in the 34th Annual MLK Jr. Oratory Competition. King came in third.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
Awards and Recognition
All finalists received a laptop, a plaque and gift bag with goodies, Newman said. The first place winner was set to receive $1,000, second place to receive $500, third place to receive $300. That was until an anonymous donor matched the prize money, doubling the award, Newman announced during the award ceremony.
