United Black Book Clubs of Pittsburgh (UBBCP)

ESSAY QUESTION 1

In Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, Jefferson’s court-appointed lawyer tells the jury not to condemn him to die because he is no more than a “hog”, who couldn’t possibly be able to plan a robbery and murder. He said he was only fit to pick cotton or carry a load. Grant Wiggins’ job is to convince Jefferson that he is valuable, that he must live as well as he can, even though he is sentenced to die.

Using this background information, examine and respond to the following writing prompt:

“Living Your Life Like It’s Golden”: Give advice to someone younger on how to value life so that this world becomes a better place.

ESSAY QUESTION 2

In Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, Jefferson is sentenced to die for a crime he did not commit. About 10.4% of the entire African-American male population in the United States aged 25 to 29 is incarcerated.  As of 2006, the United States’ penal population was 46 percent white, 41 percent African American, and 19 percent Latino. According to the same study, African-American youth amount to 15 percent of all American juveniles. However, they represent 26 percent of all juveniles who are arrested by the police nationwide. It seems as though incarceration has been the deliberate criminalization of young black people, with the construction of a “school-to-prison pipeline.”  

Using this background information, examine and respond to the following writing prompt:

INSTRUCTIONS:   

In a carefully written and well supported work, explain one of the two directives in no more than three (3) type-written pages. Entries may include essays, plays, poetry, or short stories.  

SUBMISSION DATES

1.  Entry must arrive no later than extended til May 2, 2009.

2.  Submit all work in an envelope or folder to

or

      email to

writingcontest@ubbcp.org