The 2026 Black History Month Student Poetry Contest saw a number of submissions from local youth. The Indianapolis Recorder congratulates seventh grader Geyanna Carter for her winning poem, “Martin and Me” and fifth grader Rain Scudder for her winning poem, “To the Ones They Didn’t See.”
Below are the two winning poems along with some of the top-rated submissions.
Winner
Martin and Me
By GEYANNA CARTER
“I Have a Dream”
are the words I hear when I wake up.
“Wait” is the word I hear when someone says, “Not right now.”
These are the words I think of every day.
“I Have a Dream” and “Wait” fight like cats and dogs, some say.
I’m tired of waiting to show people my dreams.
I’m tired of white people looking down on me.
We are equals. We are people —
not “Negro,” “Colored,” “Ni**er,” or “Monkey.”
Know your history, because I’ve learned mine closely.
“I Have a Dream,” so listen.
It is not the time for “waiting,” Ain’t you paying attention?
Geyanna Carter is in the seventh grade.
Winner
To the Ones They Didn’t See
By RAIN SCUDDER
For all the art you couldn’t share
For all the times they didn’t care
For all the people
They didn’t see
Can now live in peace
Like you and me
You’re not alone
We have outgrown
We have all changed
We’ve rearranged
This month to always
Celebrate you
Your strength and dreams
Made this come true
To forget the past
We don’t know how
But let’s all come
To see you now
Rain Scudder is in the fifth grade.
Top-rated poems
You Can’t Hold Me Down
By DYONNE PATTERSON
You can’t hold me down.
Well, at least not for long.
Can’t you tell we’ve been held down too long?
You can’t hold me down
because you can’t hold my tongue.
I’ve been speaking up since day one.
You can’t hold me down—
not even if you tried.
Generations of my people will fight—
fight for what is right,
and fight for my rights,
now and in every lifetime.
You can’t hold me down!
Dyonne Patterson is in the seventh grade.
The Shortest Month of All…
By ALLISON MARTINEZ
It’s February, the shortest month of all,
but the stories that we learn stand tall for all.
It’s more than just a poster or a picture on the wall.
We learned about Dr. King and the big dream he had,
and how people stayed brave when times were bad.
Like Rosa on the bus — she wouldn’t give up her seat.
She showed us that being quiet can be a powerful feat.
So let’s open a book and see what we can find. It’s not just for a month or a specific time of year. It’s about making sure every voice can be heard loud and clear.
Allison Martinez is in the seventh grade.
Love is More Powerful than Hate
By ANGELES PEREZ
Black history is more than
African Americans being treated
unfair. It’s about the pain and the stains.
They were seen as strange creatures
but never seen as smart, creators, inventors,
mathematicians, writers, poets,
or just simply humans.
Why not just learn how to love, and not to
hate, why not have empathy for those who
bleed the same color as the rest of us, why
not see them with the same eyes we look
at white people.
When at the end love
is more powerful than hate.
Angeles Perez is in the seventh grade.
Camike Jones is the Editor-in-Chief of the Indianapolis Recorder. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Jones has a lifelong commitment to advocacy and telling stories that represent the community.
