Tulsa Organization Awards Scholarships In Remembrance Of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior

The Martin Luther King Junior Commemoration Society is looking for high school seniors who will carry on Dr. King's legacy. The organization will award $12,000 in scholarships this year.

Higher education can be expensive and Dr. Pauline Harris with the Commemoration Society said they hope this money makes it a little easier.

Garrett Bland won the scholarship in 2021 and is a Booker T. Washington alum. He will graduate from Tennessee State University in the fall. Bland said the Commemoration Society helped him start his journey toward graduating college debt-free.

“I was just so thankful. Because the plan for me was, if there was anyway possible I could go to college and finish college without any debt, that I wanted to. And this scholarship definitely helped me do that," Bland said.

The organization encourages students to expand their knowledge about Dr. King beyond the parade. This year, students are asked to write an essay about Dr. King's final trip before he was assassinated.

“It’s not just for students going to college. We recognize that there’s a diverse path for our students especially in Tulsa County. They have options to go to a vocational school as well as to Tulsa Technology," Dr. Harris said.

The application is open until May 17 to any graduating student in Tulsa County. CLICK HERE for more information.