Essay Contest for Residents of Founders’ Place Historical District

This is an essay contest for residents of Founders’ Place ages 15 – 21 and 22 – 30. Participants can choose from four topics.

Write an essay over one of the following topics: A. According to Merle Haggard’s 1971 song Okie from Muskogee, “we still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse.” Is the flag as important a symbol in American life today as it was in generations past? How do your ideas about the flag differ from your parents’ or grandparents’ generation? B. How are you committed to making America, and in particular Muskogee, a better place? What things have you done to ensure the future of our city and country remains not just strong, but also just and equitable, supporting the ideals on which our country was founded? C. What does it mean to “be an American”? Should civic be taught in school again as a stand-alone class? It has been proposed that everyone pass a citizenship test to vote. Is this a good idea? D. Our neighborhood, Founders’ Place, was carved out of the allotment given to Chief Pleasant Porter under the Dawes Act. How do you see tribal sovereignty and the common public good coming together in Oklahoma or our country? How could we in Founders’ Place acknowledge the Native lands our homes are built on, or should we? Did any well-known Native Americans live in our neighborhood? How could they be honored?

Submission instructions:
Submit your completed essay on or before July 1, 2021 to foundersplacehistoricaldist@gmail.com