News and Editorials

San Jose City Council recognizes 2008 Winners of
SVCCJ Martin Luther King, Jr. Art and Writing Competition

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
FEBRUARY 26, 2008

(Excerpted from the City Council of San Jose California 2/26/08 Meeting)

Agenda: CEREMONIAL ITEMS
1.4 Presentation of commendations to the grand prize winners in the Art in Silicon Valley Conference for Community Justice’s Martin Luther King Jr. Student Art/Writing/ Multimedia contest this past January; Heather Le in Art, Melissa Marfell in Writing and Randy Tran in Multimedia. (Williams/Nguyen) (Rules Committee referral 2/13/08)

Vice Mayor Dave Cortese:
“I will ask Councilmember Williams to stay here and Madison Nguyen to join us and ask to join us the Grand Prize Winners in the Silicon Valley Conference for Community & Justice Martin Luther King Jr. Student Art, Writing & Multimedia Contest this past January. Heather Le won in Multimedia, Melissa Marfell in Writing, and Randy Tran in Art. If they could join us at the podium, and I will ask Councilmembers Williams and Nguyen to take over the presentation.”

Councilmember Forrest Williams:
“Thank you, Vice Mayor. At this time we would like to recognize the individuals who were outstanding in their achievements in writing, multimedia and art. As part of the Silicon Valley Conference for Community & Justice Martin Luther King Student Wrigint Multimedia and Art Contest. I have the honor to recognize these individuals because it’s a chance for us to see the talent we have in our community in the arts, multimedia and writing. Historically we allow the opportunity for the person who achieved or won to read their writing. I had the privilege to judge the contest this year, and I tell you it was difficult to pick, because all of the students were good! They were all winners. We are used to having a 1, 2, or 3 in history, but all of the students that participated in the contest were winners.

“We are here this eveining to recognize these 3 winners. First, Heather Le in Multimedia from Andrew Hill High School.  [APPLAUSE]. Melissa Marfell in Writing from Santa Teresa High School.  [APPLAUSE]. And Randy Tran in Art from Oak Grove High School. [APPLAUSE].

“Each of these winners demonstrated wonderful ability and talent in their specific medium. Their participation in the competition demonstrated their dedication to fighting bias, bigotry and racism in the South Bay, which are the founding principles of the Silicon Valley Conference for Community & Justice.

“I’m pleased to announce that Melissa, who won for Writing, will read her winning piece. CVongratulationt to each of you and we are happy to honore you here today. After Melissa is finished, then we will present the commendation to each. We also have with us today Bart Charlow. He is the Executive Director fot eh organization. So we thank him for his work. Melissa…..”

Melissa Marfell:
“ The poem I wrote was from a quote assigned to us for the competition, and that’s where we did the writing, multimedia and art. The quote this year was: ‘Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of racial justice.’  I did my poem about that, so…

I see you standing over me watching as I struggle in the quicksand.
I am trapped, I fight and I sink.
There is a suffocating darkness filled with their voices
Calling me, taunting me, surrounding me with their hate until I hear you

“Now is the time…”

A sliver of light breaks from the surface, shines down
And the horrors of racism are illuminated for all to see.
I feel their hands icy and rough, violent and unforgiving pull me
Down, dragging me further into oblivion.

“…to lift our nation…”

The beam of light spreads and those who live in the darkness flee.
Still, their voices cry out, but yours resonates through the abyss.
I reach out for your hand to help me, to guide me
But they yank me back down.

“…from the quick sands of racial injustice…”

Their anger and mine clash and I fall
But just when I’m beyond the reach of anyone you grab my hand.
They try to keep me down, but your words and your strength are far greater.
I rise up, leaving the hatred and the darkness behind as my feet touch the ground.

“…to the solid rock of racial justice.”

I see I am not the only one who has struggled,
So many now emerge from the darkness into the sun.
We are all so different, but stand on a common ground,
Once individual grains of sand, now one united stone.
It was not easy, but we were all able to change from sand to rock.

“Thank you.” [APPLAUSE].

Bart Charlow:
“This part is easy. It’s not just an honor, it’s a joy to work with over 3,000 students from the East Side Union High School District each year. I think it’s the 12th largest district in the country, and these kids are all fabulous.

“The kids and the City Council, most of whom have been judges this year or previous years, have heard me say that this is not just a contest: it’s a student empowerment program. We are helping them feel their leadership abilities, to find their voices. It’s truly their voices. You have begun to hear it today, and I have full confidence that you will continue to hear it for the rest of their lives! Thank you, kids.” [APPLAUSE].