Saturday morning at eight on WCLK's The Local Take, we spoke with Founder Anthony Knight from The Baton Foundation. This non-profit works with young people in our community, providing academic and cultural support. Knight joined us to talk about their Youth Essay Contest - The Ground Crew. Students are encouraged to uncover the Civil Rights Movement stories that involve the unsung heroes who did quite a bit of the leg work to make the movement successful. Anthony Knight, welcome to The Local Take.
Knight tells us that his background in museum education meant he was always working with young people sharing information about history and culture. In 2013 after the Trayvon Martin verdict, also the centennial of his grandparent’s birth, Knight explained that he wanted and needed to do more for the young people in our community. The Baton Foundation was born and incorporated in 2015.
I asked about the essay contest and the theme of The Ground Crew. He speaks about their event that featured Kate Clifford Larson, a historian who wrote Walk With Me A Biography of Fannie Lou Hammer. In conversation with her, she mentions an Atlanta woman by the name of Anell Ponder. Ponder was integral to the work of Fannie Lou Hammer and the Civil Rights movement. Her story isn’t known to most people. He thought about the hundreds of everyday citizens that participated in some way with the success of the Civil Rights Movement and challenged young people to find those stories and share them in an essay.
The deadline for entries is October 29th, and interested participants can find all of the details about the Youth Essay Contest - The Ground Crew at this link. There will be cash prizes for the first place and second place winners. Additionally, the winners will participate in an upcoming program with Larson on December 5th.
The Baton Foundation hosts two programs each month on Sundays at 3PM.Click here for a list of the upcoming programs.
For more information on The Baton Foundation
For more information on the Youth Essay Contest - The Ground Crew