Black History Month Writing Contest
Sponsored by the English Department and the Black Excellence Collaborative at Cerritos College
For our 2025 "Lift Every Voice" Writing Contest, describe your journey through the Black History Month at Cerritos College theme of "We Put in Work: Endurance, Resilience, and Strength." In a 750-word original essay or a poem of any length, focus on the moments when you have felt like giving up, the strategies you have developed to keep going, and how you have found the strength to push through even when it seems impossible. What does endurance mean to you when the body screams for rest? How do you stay resilient when everything around you crumbles? What drives your strength when every step feels like a battle?
Prizes: 1st place ($250), 2nd place ($150), 3rd place ($100) + publication on the English department website
Deadline: 11:59 p.m. on March 7, 2025
Link: Submit entries through our Black History Month "Lift Every Voice" Writing Contest site on Canvas.
2025 WINNERS
1st place: Untitled ("Exposed to the Secondhand Nature of Smoke") by Adaeze Udeh
2nd place:"Pursuing Dreams for Mars" by Karina Soriano
3rd place:"My Journey through 'We Put in Work: Endurance, Resilience, and Strength'" by Clarissa Rodriguez
2024 Winner
"The woman who wasn't afraid to think outside the (doll) box" by Dayannara Aguilar
2023 Winner
"In the Shackles of Prejudice" by Angel Mejia
2022 Winners
1st place: "Tallahatchie" by Jadel Moreira
2nd place:"Say My Name and More" by Fatima Durrani
3rd place: "I can't believe Samuel L. Jackson has never won an Oscar" by Monique Gutierrez
2021 Winner
"The Forgotten Cat" by Steven Wright Jr.
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