Video, Photos From 2017 Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing Awards

What does it mean to be Asian-American? Or Nigerian-American? Or simply American?

Winners in Carnegie Mellon University’s 2017 Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing Awards tackled topics from self-identity and racism to terrorism and the U.S. presidential election. The awards program, established in 1999 to give high school and college students a safe, creative space to explore racial and cultural differences—received a record-breaking 220 entries from 16 high schools and five colleges. The student winners, who received cash prizes and had their pieces published in a booklet distributed at the event, read their poems and essays at an awards ceremony on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017.

Watch a video of the awards ceremony

Learn more about the 2017 awards and read the winning pieces