ORLANDO, Fla. – Thursday on Breakfast with Bridgett, a preview of the Belford V. Lawson Oratorical Contest coming up this weekend.

The event, hosted every year by the local Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Alumni Chapter in Orlando, pays tribute to Lawson, a fellow member, who was the first Black attorney to win a Supreme Court case.

Middle and high school students compete for prizes through their individual 7-10 minute speeches on thought-provoking topics every year.

“This year’s topic is ‘Are voting rights essential for the 21st Century American? Why or why not?’  Obviously, right now in our country, that is a very important topic. Students have 7-10 minutes each to speak on that topic,” Nicholas Solomon, chapter president, said.

“They have the opportunity to be coached leading up to the oratorical and also have an opportunity to earn a nice piece of hardware, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, as well as laptops. There’s a lot that goes into the planning of it and leading up to it in giving students the opportunity to practice their skills.”

Learn more about this weekend’s contest as well as the upcoming charity run and other community events – watch the full interview here.

Watch the full interview above in the video player.

Click here for more information about the chapter.