Martin Luther King Jr has impacted the city of the oaks more than you think. Since 1990, towns and schools have been celebrating his deeds with a community event made up of acting, dancing, and singing. The event also features local student artists and writers participating in the writing and art competitions.. And these local students shine brightly, with a specific student named Lulu Haddox, a sophomore that finds her passions in the arts.  Haddox won 1st place in the MLK art competition.

“I’ve always been into art, my whole family’s really into it. And I’ve been introduced to it since I was very young. I remember like, the first thing I ever did that was artistic was finger painting as 2 years old from my dad, and I’ve just been into art ever since.” said Maddox.

 Haddox wished to incorporate a representation of MLK’s legacy and  the love that her mother has for the man. The piece was created using paint and paper mixed with coffee grounds to give it an older feeling. She added a collage of words to the art piece to emphasize MLK’s message. Despite her accomplishment, she was still extremely nervous for the event.

“My mom has always been a really big person in communities and it’s always like trying to reach out to others and being there to support and help and she is such a kind person so I was like, Oh, I can incorporate it like that. If I can at least try to incorporate that, then I’ll have represented what I wanted.”

Despite the artistry presented at the event, there were still key parts that had disappeared. Due to the speaker Laurene Mccoy, an aspiring school board member, speaking about what she refers to as “the trans agenda,” the Drama Club and Forte did not perform. This was done through a unanimous vote for the Forte where an individual would give their opinion on the matter. However, the Drama Club has declined interviews about the subject.