The Mavis Staples Freedom Highway Essay Award invites Tulsa County high school juniors and seniors to write about the ways music shapes how we see the world, speak up for what we believe in, and connect with one another.
Each year, students respond to a prompt rooted in the themes that run through Bob Dylan's work and the broader American songwriting tradition. Their essays explore how a song, an artist, or a musical movement has influenced their thinking, their identity, or their understanding of social change.
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The award is named for Mavis Staples, a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, civil rights icon, three-time Grammy winner, and Kennedy Center honoree whose career has spanned more than six decades. Staples marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., performed at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy, and has collaborated with artists from Bob Dylan to Arcade Fire. Her voice and her activism represent the very connection between music and justice that this award asks students to explore.
The essay award is supported by center Founding Partners Bob Ramsey and Jenny Norton through the Freedom Highway and Beyond Education Fund.
Participants will write their essays in response to the prompt presented in the following video:
ELIGIBILITY
Open to 11th and 12th grade students attending Tulsa County Public Schools Prize must be used only for education expenses Winners are responsible for reporting all tax information
SUGGESTED WORD COUNT
500 words
PRIZES
First place receives $5,000. Second place receives $1,000. Winning essays are published on the Bob Dylan Center website, and recipients are recognized at a Center event. Prize funds must be used for education expenses only. Winners are responsible for reporting all prize-related tax information.
DEADLINE
Entries must be received online at bobdylancenter.com/essaycontest by 11:59 p.m. CST on Friday, March 13.
JUDGING
Essays will be reviewed by a panel of educators, community leaders, and center staff members. The top five candidates will be interviewed at their school prior to the final winners being selected.
AI POLICY
The use of AI or any automated tools to generate or enhance content is strictly prohibited. By submitting an essay, participants confirm that their work is not from AI-generated content. Use of standard spell check and grammar check tools are accepted. Any violation may result in disqualification. Software will be used to detect plagiarism and/or use of AI.
NOTIFICATION/RECOGNITION OF WINNERS
Winning entries will be published on the Bob Dylan Center website, and first- and second-place winners will receive cash prizes of $5,000 and $1,000, respectively.
HOW TO SUBMIT
Essays must be submitted online at [submission form URL]. No email or physical submissions will be accepted.
FILE FORMAT
Submissions must be in PDF or Word document format (.pdf, .doc, or .docx).
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2025 Runner-up
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2025 Winner
If you are a student with questions about eligibility or the submission process, or a teacher looking to encourage your students to participate, we are happy to help.
