“What the Constitution Means to Me” is on Broadway. Set in an American Legion Hall for the American Legion speech contest. The principal character is a high school student (who gradually transforms into her current self) competing for prize money, for college scholarship money.
I remember the American Legion contest. My senior year in high school was 1959. I entered that contest. I think it was called the Voice of Democracy.
My High School had its own contest to pick its representative for the next level. I spoke in the High School auditorium to a few judges. They were the only audience.
By 1959 the civil rights movement was well begun. Harry Truman had integrated the military. Brown v Board of Ed was 1954. Rosa Parks had insisted on her seat on a bus in Montgomery. Eisenhower sent federal troops to Little Rock to enforce integration.
Not just the civil rights movement. Fidel Castro was creating a revolution in Cuba. Hungarians had revolted, unsuccessfully, against the Soviet Union in 1956.
I thought I would make a speech about freedom; about the civil rights movement, about Cuba, about Hungary. I submitted my draft speech, as was required.
Not allowed. Not quite true. Strongly discouraged.
So much for admiring people who fight for freedom. I acquiesced. To my English teacher. I spoke about my work with disabled children.