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The Polk County Bar Association
Visual Arts and Poetry Competition Winners
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In 1958, President Eisenhower
established Law Day (May 1) as an annual event to celebrate and
strengthen the American heritage of liberty, justice and equality
under the law. The Polk County Bar Association (PCBA) sponsors a
student competition each year to celebrate Law Day. For the third
consecutive year, the PCBA Law Day Committee sponsored a visual arts
and poetry competition for 6th through 12th graders throughout the
Polk County area. This year’s theme of "TO WIN EQUALITY BY LAW"
celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education
decision, which officially ended racial segregation in our nation’s
schools. This landmark U.S Supreme Court decision played a pivotal
role in the civil rights movement and the march toward equality for
all Americans. The student artwork and poetry illustrate or reflect
the meaning of equality in our democracy and the role of law,
advocates and the courts in establishing and protecting our rights.
The Law Day Committee received
artwork and poetry in a variety of styles from high school and
middle school students from a number of public and parochial
schools. The winning artwork and poetry can be viewed here. Come
and view the winning artwork in its original form on the second
floor of the Des Moines City Hall (May-June), St. John's Lutheran
Church (July-August), the Urbandale Public Library (September), the
Federal Courthouse and other locations to be announced later. The
PowerPoint version of the artwork can also be viewed on DMTV Cable
Channel 7 from time to time.
Special thanks to Judge Don
Nickerson for his excellent speech on the lives of the plaintiffs in
the critical cases leading to the Brown decision. Special thanks to
The Art Store and The Book Store for donations of gift certificates
for the student winners and to Tandem Brick Gallery for providing
framing services. Special thanks are also due to committee members
Dick Lyford, Heather Palmer, Kim Erickson, Ruth Cooperrider, Jason
Giles and Jennifer Garrish-Lampe. We also thank the lawyer and law
firm sponsors for enabling students, teachers and parents to attend
the May 11 Polk County Bar Association Law Day luncheon as our
guests. You may contact Emily Chafa at
ebchafa@dmgov.org with any
questions or comments about the Law Day project.
Enjoy the fruits of the
students’ creative labors!
Emily Gould Chafa
Kristin Collinson
Co-Chairs, Law Day Committee
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