I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

Remember those words as you go about your business today. This nation is a far better place for this man's activism. Thank you. You can read the entirety of this historic speech here, or catch the video on YouTube.

What? A contest? DAMN RIGHT! Without further ado, I present to you, my very first contest, titled Triumph and Tribulation. The premise is simple. I want artists to show me, by any medium, the best and worst life has to offer. Be it by story, photograph, digital creation, or intricate craftsmanship, this community has an amazing ability to show emotions through artwork, and I want to see it!

Triumph: the joy or exultation of victory or success
Tribulation: distress or suffering resulting from oppression or persecution; also : a trying experience
(Merriam-Webster)

Here are the rules:
Submission Guidelines
--To enter the contest, you must send me a note, with "T&T" in the title, a link to your deviation, and whether you're entering for triumph or tribulation.
--You can only submit your own work.
--All entries must adhere to the submission policy of deviantART. This includes not submitting a miscat or something that violates another's copyright.
--All categories are open to enter.
--Entries must be noted to myself between right now (1/21/2008), until Midnight Eastern Standard Time, February 28, 2008.

Judging
Beginning March 1, 2008, the judges will narrow down the field to five deviations for the Triumph category, and five deviations for the Tribulation category. Currently, there are three judges, myself included, to assist with this, and two more coming on board shortly.







On March 8, 2008, we will announce the semi-finalists, a poll will be put up for both groups, and the poll accounts for 100% of the vote. You, the Deviants, will decide the finalists.

Once the finalists have been determined, the real fun begins. One triumph Deviation will square off with one tribulation Deviation, and a second finals poll will take place. Again, the poll will determine the winner wholly. The winner will be announced on March 17, 2008.

Prizes
Currently, the only prize I have to offer is a stamp declaring your victory, however this will change. I have contacted numerous people to see what we can get going here, and I'd like to have a little something for each of the semi-finalists, and something nice for the finalists. So, if you have anything to offer at all, be it prints, subscriptions, custom avatars/stamps, journal features, whatever...ANYTHING, please contact me and I'll add you and your donation to the list. Since we're technically declaring two winners (albeit we're pitting them head to head), I want this to be grand scale.

Pimping/Whoring
I'm all about pimping and whoring, so if you'd like to mention this contest, or feel you can help in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me. Meanwhile, here is a stamp I've made to support the contest. Feel free to use it for whatever, just link it back to this journal entry.

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