Leopold’s Ice Cream's 3rd Annual Creative Writing Challenge has come to a close. In honor of Black History Month, area students were challenged to write a poem in any format. They were asked to include words pertaining to Black History from a list compiled by Live Oak Public Libraries staff. The entries were judged on creativity and clever use of the required words. With the invaluable help of our friends at the library, we narrowed down the entries to the winners and finalists shown below.

K-2 Winners:
1. Elijah Vaz : Celebrate Black History Month
West Chatham Elementary -1st Grade

LET’S CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Lt’s celebrate black history month every night
And let’s get freedom from people of all times
And let’s not struggle on the words we say
And let’s get peace from the day
Of the year, we learned to be friends no matter what
So we can have fun tonight
And let’s dig for treasure underground
So we can get gold
And give it to the poor poor people.

2. T. Simmons Key: The Jazz Poem
Heard Elementary - 1st Grade

THE JAZZ POEM
When I was in Washington
I went to a jazz to find the right
Music and people to pizzazz.

On the jazz
I played my tuba
But I never went to Cuba.

Jimmy played the saxophone
But is sounded maxophone.

Sarah was playing her drums
With her hands
And when she was drumming
She started humming.

Louis Armstrong had a negro dream
He loved to play jazz,
When I called him protest.

3. Elijah Vaz: Black History Month Here I Come!
West Chatham Elementary - 1st Grade

BLACK HISTORY MONTH HERE I COME
Black history month here I come
Let’s walk and take the bus
To a place called black history month
Let’s celebrate the day of the year
In Africa
So people could cheer
And dream about Atlanta every nigh!

3-5 Winners:
1. Faith Lynn Mask: We Have Justice
Home Schooled - 4th Grade

WE HAVE JUSTICE
Justice
Overcame slavery,
And the past
Was gone, no more
Struggles.

2. Jacob Andrew Woodcock: Working Nights and Days
Gould Elementary - 4th Grade

WORKING NIGHTS AND DAYS
Slaves,
Servants,
Working nights and days.
Dirty schools,
Negros as they call them,
History is the past,
And the past is history.
Working nights and days.
Cold winters,
Hot summers,
Cold nights,
Hot days,
Can’t read, can’t write,
Working nights and days.
Unfair laws
Unfair schools,
Working nights and days.
With no hope and with no peace.
Working nights and days.
Working right away.

3. Zion S. Green: Thank You Rosa
Butler Elementary School - 3rd Grade

THANK YOU ROSA
Many years ago a black woman stood up for equality
Her name was Rosa Parks.
She was a seamstress raised in the south
That refused to shut her mouth.
Riding a crowded bus where Negros could lose their seats
Rosa refused to move for a white person which disturbed the peace.
Her protest sparked another movement in Civil Rights and a boycott too
Which began in Montgomery, Alabama making history for me and you.
Her struggle for justice was apart of Martin Luther King’s dream
For the hope that blacks and whites would one day overcome everything.
So thank you Rosa you did your best
No more being jailed for freedom has been put to rest.
Our future is better because of what you did in the past
We all can say we’re free at last!

Thank you Rosa Parks!

6-8 Winners:
1. Patrick Hightower: Overcome
ILN - 8th Grade

OVERCOME
Out of slavery.
Vocal protest.
Everybody deserves equality.
Respect is what the world needs.
Come out of the darkeness.
Overflowing with hope.
Martin Luther King, Jr. made a difference.
Everlasting courage.

2. Aisling Hill: Hope for Happiness
Garrison - 6th Grade

HOPE FOR HAPPINESS
I look at everyone’s happy face…
Even though here we are with yams and greens and even cookies for dessert, I know how much they
Struggled to even get this…

Earlier today, my birthday, we went to see a jazz street artist
It was amazing.

It gave us all hope, and it gave me a dream…
A dream to protest this injustice, to overcome this slavery…
To make life better for Negros everywhere
I will help now so my children will have a bright future filled with freedom and equality
A life of peace
I am willing to forget the past if they can consider the future.
Justice will be done
Happiness will be achieved…
But for now, I’m gonna eat my greens and yams and hope for the best.

3. Annie Bordeaux: Black History Haikus
Charles Ellis - 6th Grade

BLACK HISTORY HAIKUS
Not past, our future,
We struggle to overcome.
We will march on Washington.
We will live the dream.

We will protest and
We fight for freedom and also
In Atlanta and Harlem,
We will gain our rights.

We hope for better
We will change history an d
Fight for our own Civil Rights.
We will live the dream.

Each of the first place winners will receive an ice cream party for their class and Live Oak Public Libraries goodie bags. Second place winners will receive $20 Leopold’s Ice Cream gift certificates. Third place winners will receive $10 Leopold’s Ice Cream gift certificates. In addition, the winners will be special guests at the Savannah City Council Meeting on March 21 where they will read their poems for attendees including Mayor Edna Jackson and members of City Council. Of course, as is tradition when Leopold’s make an appearance, ice cream will be served to celebrate the occasion.