NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Fisk University’s Jubilee Hall was the place to be Friday evening, May 8, 2025, for the 4th Annual Oratorical Contest. It was nothing but 3’s coming from this team — one point for Confidence, one point for Courage, and one point for Content.
From the tipoff, 2nd grader Karda Jobe, coached by Khira Turner, fired up a shot of spoken word from The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman. The opposing team, They Say, took the ball out, but a bad pass landed in the hands of 2nd grader Danny Phillips, coached by LaShiante Phillips. Danny spun and dunked backwards with an excerpt from a Nelson Mandela speech about children. Oratorical broadcaster Yolonda Beech could hardly contain her excitement as she announced a quick timeout by They Say. During the pause, Ms. Beech acknowledged the evening’s referees: Mrs. Paula Major, Dr. Sam Nahashon, and Mrs. Debra Alexander.
They Say got the ball back and moved down the court. A hard shot off the rim bounced into the hands of William, who passed to 4th grader Xavier Jones. Xavier went deep in the corner, turned, and shot an excerpt from Malcolm X’s speech The Ballot or the Bullet, hitting all net starting with, “You didn’t land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock landed on you.” The crowd of parents, relatives, and friends erupted in applause.
They Say struggled to get across half court again, but F.H. Jenkins’ 1-3-1 half-court press caught them off guard. William Dowe stole the ball and went the distance for a slam dunk to the words of James Baldwin, much to the delight of coach Davonya Dowe.
At halftime, Oratorical Society President and Principal Dr. Summer Wood shared remarks alongside Program Director Mrs. LaShiante Phillips. As the second half began, F.H. Jenkins cleared the bench, bringing in a new lineup. Gabrielle Jones, a 4th grader, blocked a layup attempt and passed to Xavier at center court. He dribbled left, then right, and threw an alley-oop to Gabrielle for a slam dunk punctuated by the words of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. Coach Gary Jones, Jr. lost all his popcorn in excitement as the third quarter ended with They Say struggling to find their rhythm.
To open the fourth quarter, the Jenkins coach brought in original writings. The new lineup featured:
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Victoria Dyer, 8th grader and point guard, delivering a speech on Employment Discrimination, coached by Phyllis Dyer.
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Trynitee Gardner, 7th grader, delivering Hair-istically Speaking, coached by Rossi Turner.
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Deja Jones, 6th grader, speaking on Social Justice, coached by Alicia Jones.
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Ziona Phillips, 7th grader and playmaker, presenting on Oppression and Stereotypes, coached by LaShiante Phillips.
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Corrin Alford, 8th grader and center, speaking on Missing Children, coached by Carlin Alford.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, it became clear that They Say could not match the brilliance, courage, and confidence of the young student freedom fighters from F.H. Jenkins Preparatory School.
We have heard it over and over again…
They say we can’t read.
They say we can’t write.
They say we have no discipline.
They say a lot of things.
But F.H. Jenkins’ 4th Annual Oratorical Contest proved to the community — and to the world — Yes we can. Yes we can.
Congratulations to the brilliant students of F.H. Jenkins Preparatory School on their victory over “They Say.”
