'If everybody was the same, it'd be a boring world,' says Black history art contest winner

When MezMariah E. entered the annual Black History Month Art Contest earlier this year, hosted by the Boys & Girls Club of Springfield and UScellular, she wasn't expecting to take home a prize.

"They announced there was going to be an art competition and I decided this could be a real opportunity for me, so I decided to take my chances and signed up for it."

The 10-year-old placed third in the sixth annual art contest with her pencil drawing of George Washington Carver, an agricultural scientist who promoted alternative crops, such as peanuts, sweet potatoes and soybeans, to protect farmland from soil depletion.

"My reaction was basically excitement," said E., whose full name was withheld in the award announcement. "I was pretty shocked because I didn't think I would make it that far. It's five Boys & Girls Clubs (that participate in the art contest), and I didn't think I really had the chance, but I'm here now and it's pretty cool. I think it really made a difference in my life."

For placing third, E. received a $100 cash prize. She said she plans to save the money, either for art supplies or treating her parents, who "are so busy taking care of us (E. and her siblings) that they barely get a day off."

Boys & Girls Club of Springfield members were encouraged to create original drawings of important Black historical figures who made contributions to the STEM industry for this year's art contest. 10 finalists were chosen by Boys & Girls Club representatives, and public voting was available through February. The top three winners received their awards earlier this week at an awards ceremony.

Ayonna Cheek, 9, received first place for her pencil and marker drawing of Neil deGrasse Tyson. Tyson is an American astrophysicist, author and talk show host. Tyson has served as the director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York since 1996 and is popularly known for his appearances on television shows like "Origins," which examined the origins of the universe, and "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey," a documentary series about space and time.

Cheek said she chose Tyson as her historical figure because he inspires her. Cheek's portrait was completed with both pencil and marker. She said she chose to add color to give more detail to the portrait. She also included background imagery, including the Black Power Movement fist and phrase, "Black Lives Matter." Through her portrait, Cheek hoped to convey a message important to her, the importance of being "you."

"There's no two people who are exactly the same because if everybody was the same, it'd be a boring world," Cheek said.

For first place, Cheek received $250. She said she is still planning what to do with her winnings.

Abby Henderson, 11, received second place for her pencil drawing of Mae Jemison, a former NASA astronaut. Jemison was the first Black woman in space, aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992. Jemison applied twice for the position with NASA and was accepted as one of 15 out of 2,000 applicants in 1987, the first group of astronauts selected for space travel after the Challenger explosion in 1986.

Henderson chose Jemison as her subject because she felt there isn't enough representation of women in the STEM industries. For second place, Henderson received $150.

“Working with Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield to celebrate Black History Month and to highlight the achievements of Black STEM icons, such as Mae Jemison and George Washington Carver has been extremely gratifying,” Mark Bennett, store manager for UScellular in Springfield, said in a news release. “The creativity that club members displayed in their artwork was inspiring and we congratulate our participants and winners in this year’s contest.”

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Boys & Girls Club announces Black History Month Art Contest winners