Writing competitions inspire, ignite change

Planting People Growing Justice™ Leadership Institute (PPGJLI) promotes cultural preservation through the arts and humanities and builds an ecosystem for new literary artists. In furtherance of this goal, PPGJLI hosts writing competitions for youth and adults. This summer, we launched two new writing competitions.

 

The Rondo competition aims to raise awareness of the Rondo community and its unique historical value. This is personal for me since I was born and raised in the Rondo community. It is also an opportunity for new and experienced Black literary artists to inform, grow, and utilize the arts to ignite social change. This aligns with PPGJLI’s 100 Black Authors Campaign which provides support for emerging literary artists.

The Rondo neighborhood occupies an important place in American history. It was named for Joseph Rondeau, an early settler who moved there in the late 1850s. He endured discrimination himself, as had his wife, a woman of Indigenous heritage. By 1930, a majority of Minnesota’s African Americans were residents of Rondo. It was a hub of Black commerce, culture, social organizations, and institutions. 

The construction of the I-94 highway dismantled the close-knit community and forced hundreds of residents to relocate. An estimated minimum of 700 families lost their homes and 300 Black-owned businesses were closed. One in every 8 African Americans in St. Paul lost their home or business. However, the spirit of Rondo was not lost. It continues to live on today. Marvin Roger Anderson and Floyd George Smaller established the first Rondo Days festival in July of 1983. In addition, the Rondo Commemorative Plaza serves as a community garden and learning center. Further, the soul food restaurant, Taste of Rondo, combines history and culture through its cuisine and restaurant ambiance.

How to enter? Entries should be 1,000 words or less and submitted online. The anthology competition is open to individuals of all ages, of African American heritage, and living in St. Paul. Entries can be fiction or creative fiction, poetry, or prose. 

A total of 25 winners will be chosen to have their work included in the anthology. Winners will receive $100 and a copy of the book. The competition is supported in part by the City of Saint Paul Cultural Sales Tax Revitalization Program and the St. Paul Star Program.

The writing competition “Rondo: History & Values Anthology” (www.ppgjli.org/rondo-anthology) conducted by the PPGJLI is an opportunity for individuals to learn more about the historical community and celebrate the indomitable Rondo spirit. The deadline for entries is Saturday, July 15, 2023.

 

The second edition of “Aya: An Anthology of Racial Justice, Healing, and the Black Experience” is now open for submissions. The theme for this year’s competition is “What is racial justice and healing?” The anthology takes its name from the word Aya (pronounced “eye-ah”). It is a West African Adrinka symbol linked to the former Gyaman kingdom and Ashanti culture. The word Aya is visually represented by a fern. In the Twi language, it symbolizes the attributes of independence, endurance, resourcefulness, perseverance, and defiance against oppression.

How to enter? The writing competition is open to Black youths of all ages across the African diaspora (worldwide). Entries of 1,000 words or less are sought in the categories of fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, or prose. 

Young authors selected for inclusion in the Aya Anthology will receive $50 and a copy of the published book. The goal of the competition is to advance societal reform and inspire youth artists to lead that change. The Aya Anthology is an open invitation to youths to lead and serve their communities, each with their own unique abilities.

Conducted by PPGJLI, the writing competition for the second edition of “Aya: An Anthology of Racial Justice, Healing, and the Black Experience” (www.ppgjli.org/aya-youth-anthology-2nd-edition) is an opportunity for Black youth voices, the leaders of the future, to speak and be heard (www.ppgjli.org/aya-reflection-guide). The inaugural edition of the anthology is available in a paperback edition at the PPGJ Press and Bookstore and on Amazon. The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, Oct.31, 2023, and entries can be submitted online.

Through PPGJLI’s writing competitions, writers are taking action for justice and equity. They are filling the void of the missing chapters in the history books and honoring our shared humanity. The words of Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Nobel Laurette, Toni Morrison, serve as a guide on this writing journey. “If you find a book you really want to read but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” 

Through her organization, Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute, Dr. Artika Tyner seeks to plant seeds of social change through education, training, and community outreach.