Lyric's 'Dream Big' Contest reveals hope, vision in Baltimore's youth

We turn now to the 2022 Dream Big Contest, a competition inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s ”I Have a Dream Speech.” Students from Baltimore City and Baltimore County grades 5-12 were asked to submit poems, essays and videos describing their dreams for themselves and for their communities.

Now in its fifth year, the contest is co-sponsored by Lyric Baltimore’s Education Foundation.

Tom is joined on Zoom by two of the 12 finalists honored at the Awards Ceremony at the Lyric this past April 18 (broadcast by event co-sponsor WBAL-TV11 on Apr. 24):

Asia Webster entered as a 9th grade student at Baltimore City College. She was honored for her essay, If I Had a Dream. Asia is a Youth Cultural Arts Organizer for the Youth Resiliency Institute, where founder/artistic director Navasha Daya describes Asia as "a wonderful improvisational actor, prolific writer, and a bit obsessed with Starbucks..."

Carrie Snowden was an 11th grader at the Baltimore Design School; her submission was a video called Carrie’s Story, which you can see on this Youtube link; Carrie is a member of the Bmore Youth Arts Advocacy Council, a program of Arts Every Day, which advocates for more arts instruction and engagement in Baltimore City Public Schools.

Also joining Tom on Zoom is Denise Kumani Gannt. She is the Director of Education and resident artist with Lyric Baltimore, and one of the prime movers behind the "Dream Big" Contest.

For more information about the "Dream Big" Contest, send an email to: [email protected]

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