Topic "Education is the Greatest Form of Resistance" The competition is open to young men of African or Latino descent currently attending high school in Western Massachusetts and interested in attending college.
On Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 2:00 PM at St. John's Church in Springfield, the Theta Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and its Lee B. Revels Scholarship & Mentoring Foundation will host the Fourteenth Annual Senator Edward W. Brooke III Oratorical Competition. The competition is open to young men of
African or Latino descent currently attending high school in Western Massachusetts and interested in attending college. This event is free and open to the public.
Participation in the program provides young men the opportunity to experience the art of public speaking while learning about a topic relevant to their lives.
This year's topic is: "Education is the Greatest Form of Resistance". This year's theme explores how individuals and societies must recognize difficult truths before any meaningful transformation occurs. This question will encourage contestants to research, create, and shape their experiences and stories of this new era.
Work by Brother W.E.B. Du Bois – The Soul of Black Folk – The South believed an educated Negro to be a dangerous Negro
Work by Brother Jarvis R. Givens – Fugitive Pedagogy: Carter G Woodson and the Art of Black Teaching - Focuses on how Black educators historically used schooling to resist oppression.
Participants will have group workshops and one-on-one mentoring/coaching sessions to help prepare them for the competition The top three orators are awarded scholarships that they will receive upon enrollment in college. Any graduating senior who wins a scholarship award must request their funds within one full calendar year from the competition date. If not, the funds will no longer be available.
2026 Scholarship Awards:
First Place $1,500
Second Place $1,000
Third Place $750
For the past fifteen years, the Theta Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity has gained the support of the Western Massachusetts community to identify young men to compete for these scholarships. This year is no different, so we ask for your help in identifying Black and Latino men in Western Massachusetts who would like to
participate in this year's competition. Students may register by completing our online registration form, which is attached to this letter, along with a copy of the rules, entry requirements, and judging criteria.
The entry deadline is Sunday, April 19, 2026. Online registration is available on our website at https://springfieldalphas.net. After completing the online application, the registrant will be contacted with confirmation of his registration and will be provided with additional details regarding times, dates, and locations of the mandatory workshops.
For additional information, please contact Wesley Days, Director of Education, at
education@springfieldalphas.com
The Lee B. Revels Mentoring and Scholarship Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 organization and the non-profit corporation of Theta Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. The Foundation is funded via grants from corporations, other foundations, civic
groups, and faith-based institutions, as well as individual sponsorships by fraternity members and friends of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Contributions are 100% tax deductible. A few initiatives of the foundation include Project Alpha (a teen pregnancy
prevention program targeted to males ages 12-18), an Oratorical Scholarship competition, a Leadership Development Institute for rising junior and senior high school students and scholarships for graduating high school seniors and college students. More information about Theta Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and its foundation is available on our website:
Kacie Davis, President, TIL Chapter
Persons seeking additional information regarding the Oratorical Scholarship Competition should contact a committee
member:
Wesley Days, Director of Education, TIL Chapter
413-314-8958, education@springfieldalphas.com
Arthur R. Shurn, Director Communications, TIL Chapter
413-222-9601, arthur@shurn.com
Kevin Jeffries, President, Lee B. Revels Scholarship & Mentoring
Foundation 312-420-4797, jeffries1906@gmail.com
Thank you for your support.
Copyright © 2026 Theta Iota Lambda of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.. All Rights Reserved.
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