The Shadows-on-the-Teche held its Second Annual Juneteenth Student Poetry Contest. The contest was open to the public and held at the Sliman Theater, located at 129 E. Main Street in New Iberia.

Using The Hill We Climb by poet Amanda Gorman as a prompt, Iberia Parish public school students were invited to write poems to commemorate the Juneteenth National Holiday. The theme of the competition was “Freedom and Justice for All.”   

Winners of the competition were announced in two categories: middle school and high school. Cash prizes were awarded to first, second, and third place winners in each category. Students who placed will have the opportunity to read their poems.

Judges for the competition were former Louisiana Poet Laureates Darrell Bourque, Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy, and John Warner Smith.