The Paducah–McCracken County NAACP is proud to present the 2026–2027 Fredrickia Hargrove Poster & Essay Contest in Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Each year, we look forward to this opportunity when students, teachers, and families celebrate the life, work, and legacy of Dr. King — and this year, students will engage with his words more directly than ever before.
The theme for the 2026–2027 contest is “Blueprint for Tomorrow: Constructing Your Character,” drawn from Dr. King’s 1967 speech to students, “What Is Your Life’s Blueprint?” Across six grade divisions, students read (and have the opportunity to hear) Dr. King’s own words and respond with a poster (grades K–3) or an essay (grades 4–12) addressed to real community/state leaders — and to The King Center in Atlanta, GA.
There are six categories, and the top three winners in each will be awarded cash prizes, thanks to our sponsor, Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership, LLC. The top essay winners will have the opportunity to record their essays for broadcast and online viewing, thanks to our media partner, WPSD Local 6. Winning posters will also be featured by WPSD Local 6, and the top thirty posters will be displayed at Paducah City Hall.
In Honor of Mrs. Fredrickia Hargrove
This contest carries the name of a Paducah educator who spent her life taking words seriously. Fredrickia Jones Hargrove (1946–2017) held bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Murray State University and taught for 27 years in the Paducah Independent School District. Through Upward Bound, she helped open the door to college for students who might otherwise never have reached it.
A proud member of the Beta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and of the Paducah–McCracken County NAACP, she gave herself to her students and her community.
This contest grew from her vision, and it bears her name so that every student who enters this contest steps into the tradition of a teacher who believed their words mattered.
Student & Teacher Resources
All entries must be submitted by 3:00 PM on Friday, December 11, 2026.
Entries submitted after the deadline will not be scored.
Top finalists in each division will be notified no later than FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2027, through their local schools.
The full contest manual, each division’s prompt, and the source reading are available at the links below.
Essay submissions must be completed using the template (also available below). Once complete, return to this website to upload your completed essay.
Judges Resources
Scoring documents must be competed using our official Poster Scoring and Essay Scoring Documents. Download the workbooks at the link below (or use the provided documents in the Google Drive link you were provided).
Once complete, return to this page and upload your scoring documents using the form below.