2023 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Essay Contest

2023 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Essay Contest

The City of Dallas is pleased to announce the 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest! The contest will award eight scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 (per award) to graduating high school seniors accepted into a college-level educational institution (two-year college, four-year college, or trade school).

A total of *$27,500 in scholarship awards will be presented to eight finalists:

  • 1st Place receives  $10,000
  • 2nd Place receives  $7,500
  • 3rd Place receives  $5,000

*Awards of $1,000 will be presented to five honorable mentions.

Essay Contest Rules & Eligibility 

The 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest is open to high school seniors attending a City of Dallas high school. These Scholarships are to help defray the cost of tuition, books, room and board, etc. Winners will be required to submit a short video of their scholarship acceptance and will be formally recognized at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship & Awards Gala on Saturday, January 14, 2023.

Submission Deadline: Wednesday, November 30, 2022, 11:59 p.m. CST.

  1. One essay per student
  2. Essays must be original, typed, double-spaced, and a minimum of 1,000 words
  3. The cover sheet must contain the student’s name, school, home/cellular phone number, and email address (do not include this information in the body of the essay)
  4. Student must attend a high school in the city of Dallas
  5. Essays will be judged based on organization, content, creativity, and grammatical structure

2023 Essay Prompt:

“Daring to Dream: The Radical Imagination of a New Generation”

In 1,000 words, describe a personal dream that would radically change society for the better. Explain who would be positively impacted and how they would be impacted by your dream turned into reality. 

​Apply Here!

Incomplete applications WILL NOT be considered. Prior scholarship winners are ineligible to apply.


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2023 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Week

In January 2023, the City of Dallas will host its 41st annual celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a weeks’ worth of events highlighting issues of equity, diversity, and opportunity. The week will include a Day of Prayer, a Day of Service, a Wreath Laying Ceremony, Job Fair, Equity Symposium, Youth Summit, and Scholarship & Awards Gala. Celebration week will culminate with the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade.

Click here to learn more about 2023 MLK Celebration Week!