Ninth Circuit Civics Contest Centers on Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education
SAN FRANCISCO, California—2024 marks the 70th anniversary of the United States Supreme Court’s 1954 landmark ruling on Brown v. Board of Education in which the unanimous court held that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional. The Ninth Circuit is pleased to announce that the 2024 Ninth Circuit Civics Contest is now accepting essay and video entries.
“70 Years Later—The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education” is the theme of the 2024 Ninth Circuit Civics Contest, which is an annual essay and video competition open to students in grades 9-12 in public, private, parochial, charter schools and home-schooled students of equivalent grade status in nine western states, the U.S. territory of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Children and relatives of federal court employees are not eligible to participate.
Students will have an opportunity to win cash prizes while learning about the legacy of the Brown decision. In addressing the theme, students are asked to discuss what impact they think Brown has had and why, in an essay of 500-1,000 words or in a 3-5-minute video. Contest rules are available on the civics contest website at https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/civicscontest/.
Essay and video winners at the circuit level will share $11,400 in total cash prizes—$3,000 for first place, $1,700 for second place and $1,000 for third place. Furthermore, first-place winners at the circuit level will be invited to attend the 2024 Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, where students will be recognized for their achievements and also participate in a special panel discussion with members of the bench and bar. Additionally, many students will have a chance to win cash prizes in local civics contests sponsored by federal courts throughout the Ninth Circuit that will select their winners, who will then advance as finalists at the circuit level.
The contest is sponsored by the Ninth Circuit’s Public Information and Community Outreach Committee, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the federal courts that comprise the Ninth Circuit. “The committee encourages students to participate in this contest. It provides a unique opportunity for them to consider this important decision and then share their thoughts through creative writing or video production, while also learning about the role of the judicial branch in our American democracy,” said Senior District Judge John Kronstadt, PICO chair, Central District of California.
The contest opened on Jan. 8, 2024. Essay and/or video entries can be submitted online on the civics contest website. Deadline to submit entries is 11:59pm Pacific Time, Friday, March 8, 2024. Finalists will be announced in May and the winners in June. (PR)
Ninth Circuit
