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When asked to think of a person in her life she thought embodied Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s principles, Sabeena Khan looked no further than her own father.

Before about 175 people, the Oakcrest Elementary sixth-grader spoke at the SPEAK! MD Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical Competition Monday about her father Mujib Khan, an "intelligent" man who donates blood, gives to charity and is her "best friend."

"That was his first time hearing it," Khan, 11, of Bladensburg said. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

Khan was one of 26 area youth who participated in the competition held at Cheverly's Publick Playhouse. SPEAK! MD Oratory League Inc., a Bowie-based speech skills nonprofit for youth, holds at least two competitions per year but this is the first time they held a competition to recognize King's birthday, which was Jan. 15.

Shonette Grant, president of SPEAK!, said organization members gave the students tips on speaking and presentation but ultimately left it up to teachers and parents to teach the children about who King was and his legacy.

"It's an opportunity for families to do it together," Grant said. "You're going to look up these speeches. It's an opportunity for not only the kids to learn about Martin Luther King but to remind the parents about his work and the great oratory that he gave. That's why we really left it up to the kids."

There were separate elementary, middle and high school competitions where students could win U.S. Savings Bonds ranging from $100 to $300 given to students in third, second or first place. Elementary students were asked to recite excerpts from one of King's speeches while middle and high school students answered questions such as the one Khan did. All participating students received a medal.

Khan said she learned in class that King was a great leader, orator and a man of courage to make the speeches he did, such as the 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech.

"I believe [my dad] embraces the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and he really inspires me by the things he does for the community and his family," Khan said.

For Deondre Leid, 8, of Bowie, the hardest part was the constant repetition. Leid, who recited a part from King's "I Have a Dream" speech said he practiced for three hours for three days in front of his mother to perfect the speech. King delivered the original speech in Washington, D.C. during the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963.

"You never really get any free time after you keep going and going," said Leid, a third-grader at Bowie's Heather Hills Elementary School.

Grant's nonprofit, which began in 2008, offers 10-week public speaking programs that meet at local churches such as Reid Temple AME in Glenn Dale, said Belinda Gordon-Battle, a mental health therapist and vice president of SPEAK!

"We're all parents in the community and we all saw a need for our own children to develop the skill and we're hoping that other people saw a need to develop the skill," Gordon-Battle said.

Mujib Khan hugged his daughter in the aisles of the Publick Playhouse and said how proud he was of her.

"I was not expecting that," Mujib Khan said. "I wish her good luck in the future to continue doing good speeches."

nmcgill@gazette.net