For the third consecutive year, the Washington Wizards will partner with the Greater Washington Urban League to encourage high school students to participate in an essay contest.
“As one of the District’s oldest civil rights organizations, we are honored to partner with the Washington Wizards on the third annual Dr. E.B. Henderson Essay Contest,” said George H. Lambert Jr., president and CEO of the Greater Washington Urban League. “This collaboration reinforces our unwavering commitment to creating access for our students to pursue higher education.”
The contest, open to all DMV high school seniors attending eligible schools within a 75-mile radius, will run from Nov. 15, 2023, to Feb. 1, 2024, with the winners being announced on the Wizards’ social platforms and at a Wizards home game during Black History Month.
This year’s essays will recognize the achievements of Dr. E. B. Henderson, a sports historian, educator, administrator, coach, athlete and civil rights activist known as the “Grandfather of Black Basketball” in Washington, D.C., and Benjamin Banneker, a mathematician and astronomer who is credited with helping establish the original boundary of the nation’s capital.
Students are asked to select a community leader or organization that has affected their life and write a 350-500-word essay advocating for their cause/mission and its importance. Essays will be reviewed, and the top 10 finalists will receive a monetary scholarship toward their continued education route or college of their choice.
The grand prize winner will receive $5,000, the second-place winner will receive $4,000, the third-place winner will get $3,500, and the other seven finalists will receive $2,500 courtesy of the Monumental Sports Entertainment Foundation and The Leonsis Foundation.
All students who submit an essay that fits the criteria of the contest will receive two complimentary tickets to a select home game during the 2023-2024 season.
More information on the contest can be found at nba.com/wizards/essaycontest2324.
