Edgecombe Early College High School student Shakeal Moore recently won first place in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical Contest sponsored by the Ebonette Club of Tarboro.

The Ebonette Club is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help young people. Each year, the group hosts the Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical Contest as well as Lunch with the King as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration, which was held on Jan. 19 at Edgecombe Community College in Tarboro.

Moore was one of the speakers at the event and says “Entering this contest was less about competing and more about sharing the dream and remembering the legacy of Dr. King Jr.”

Moore has won over 13 oratorical contests and continues to amplify his voice. He is currently completing his final semester at the Early College where he will be receiving a high school diploma and an associate’s degree. He intends to further his education at a post-secondary institution and continue participating in school and community service organizations. One of which is the Frederick Douglass Foundation of North Carolina, where Moore serves as the county director of a local chapter. Moore is the Student Council President at the Early College as well.

Early College instructors Jamie Hathaway, Keith Webb and James Guy are credited for their help in assisting Moore with each contest. Moore also thanks his family, friends and school for their support.

“I cannot take any credit for these achievements.” Moore held “In my opinion your talent is God’s gift to you; what you do with it is your gift back to God!”