Contest Submissions
‘The celebration improved my children a hundred percent. I wish we could have Negro History Week throughout the year. Let the good work go on. Under your leadership we shall some day appreciate our interesting past and be thereby stimulated to greater endeavor.’
- –A teacher told Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926, following the first Negro History Week
2026 Theme
“An American Milestone: Celebrating the Centennial of Negro History Week/Black History Month, 1926-2026”
Contact
Professor Sandra Reed, College/University Committee Chair, Sandra.reed@marshall.edu
Dr. Rachael Peckham, K12 Committee Chair, peckham@marshall.edu,
– Or –
Professor Burnis Morris, Director, Woodson Lyceum, morrisb@marshall.edu.
Guidelines
One entry per student. Free to enter.
Students are encouraged to be creative and to explore ideas and concepts.
Posters should be 11 x 14 inches. Students may create their posters using digital tools and/or traditional media, such as letterpress, silkscreen, markers, paint, pens, collage, stitching, photography, mixed media, etc. If using traditional media, scan or photograph the entry for online submission. For questions about the competition, contact Burnis Morris, director of the Woodson Lyceum, at morrisb@marshall.edu.
Criteria
Entries will be judged based on these criteria:
- Theme: the extent to which the design effectively expresses the 2026 theme, “An American Milestone: Celebrating the Centennial of Negro History Week/Black History Month, 1926-2026.”
- Statement: Describe your research, what you learned, and factors that you considered in designing your poster. Your statement should be at least 200 words.
- Social Impact: The potential of the design to improve race relations and/or preserve/observe Black history.
- Visual Impact: The expression of the idea through composition and execution.
- Originality: In the case that you have used a generative AI tool for any stage of your poster, you must explicitly describe this use, including and not limited to conceptualization, design, or production.
By entering the competition, winners grant The Woodson Lyceum and Marshall University permission to use the poster in their promotions. Because winning posters will be reproduced and distributed to the public, contest winners may be asked to respond to feedback from the jurors/review committee before distribution of the winning poster(s). Winners are expected to attend the awards program on January 30, 2026, and they will need to complete paperwork to receive the monetary prize. Please also complete the Consent Form.
Because winning posters will be reproduced and distributed to the public, contest winners may be asked to respond to feedback from the jurors/review committee before distribution of the winning poster(s). Winners are expected to attend the awards program on January 30, 2026, and they will need to complete paperwork to receive the monetary prize.
Prize: $250 to the first-place winner
Deadline: BY 5 P.M., NOVEMBER 21, 2025
Poster Entry
Instructions
- Please download, fill out and sign the Consent Form. Once filled out, please photograph or scan the form so that it may be uploaded with your poster.
- You may copy and paste your written statement into the online form, or you may upload it as a photo, a scan, or a Microsoft Word document.