The Lawnside Historical Society is celebrating the Jessie Redmon Fauset Literary Series by encouraging fifth through 12 graders in Camden, Burlington and Gloucester counties to write prize-winning poetry on the theme "Sepaking Truth to Power," to honor Miss Fauset, a Lawnside native, human rights activist and Harlem Renaissance writer.
The deadline for submissions is April 5. Guidelines and entries forms have been mailed to schools, churches, youth centers and libraries. They are also on the Society’s website at http://www.petermotthouse.org/JRFDay. The competition is designed to encourage youth to write original poetry in the vein of the Harlem Renaissance, an intellectually vibrant period for Black America. The theme is "The Struggle for Social Justice."
Winning poets will read their works on April 30 starting at 2 p.m. in the Lawnside Public School, 426 E. Charleston Ave., where plaques and cash prizes will be awarded.
