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Award recipients (l to r) Jade Shaw, Nedjie Aurelien, Dafany Miranda-Zepeda, Samantha Pierre, Tyson Elliot (Jazmin Matney not pictured) with ceremony emcee Ted White on June 29.​

The Palm Beach County (PBC) Community Remembrance Project Coalition, in partnership with the Equal Justice
Initiative (EJI) announced the winners of the 2023 EJI Racial Justice Essay Contest. Students were asked to examine the history of a topic of racial injustice and to discuss its legacy today. The submitted essays explained students chosen topic using a specific historical event(s), explored how the injustice persists, and imagined solutions for a future free from racial injustice. Students were encouraged to reflect on how the topic impacts their own lives and communities.

The 2023 EJI Essay Contest Recipients are:
• Jade Shaw, Suncoast Community High School     
• Nedjie Aurelien, Atlantic Community High School
• Tyson Elliott, Wellington Community High School
• Samantha Pierre, South Tech Academy
• Jazmin Matney, Santaluces Community High School
• Dafany Miranda-Zepeda, Grove Community High School

An awards ceremony was held on June 29th, 2023, at the Palm Beach County Main Library, where recipients received formal recognition of the scholarships in the presence of family, EJI representatives, and PBC Community Remembrance Project coalition members. Ted White served as the emcee for the ceremony. The student recipients also read their winning essays to the coalition and audience members at the event. Congratulations to all the recipients of the EJI Racial Justice Essay Contest Scholarship.​

About EJI: The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. More information on the EJI can be found at https://eji.org/.

About PBC Community Remembrance Project: The Palm Beach County Community Remembrance Project Coalition envisions opportunities in Palm Beach County for people to come together and discuss our history. They hope that educators, officials (elected and appointed), and community members will participate. More information on the PBC Community Remembrance Project can be found at https://pbcremembrance.org/.