The Ohio Civil Rights Commission is excited to announce winners of our 2017 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Art, Writing, and Multimedia Contest! This year's theme is "Driving out Hate." 

One of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s basic beliefs was that love should be at the center of all of his work as a community leader. The nonviolent protests he led during the Civil Rights Movement came from the idea that violence and destruction would not change the hearts and minds of others. Still, Dr. King knew that it is challenging to show love and kindness to people who only show you anger and hatred. He believed that a person must look beyond the bad things they see in their enemies and try to find common ground and shared interest to heal wounds and create a community and country that treat all people equally.

Contest Entries:

In his book, Strength to Love, Dr. King discusses the challenges and importance of loving your enemy, even when they do not love you back. He said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love

Think about times in your life when you have witnessed hatred and intolerance. What things have you done to drive out hate?