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Blen T. wins the 2026 MLK Jr. Oratory competition
0Blen T., from Preston Hollow Elementary, is the winner of the 34th Annual MLK Jr. Oratory Competition. Second place went to Cameron K., from Clara Oliver Elementary School, and Kennedy K. from Solar Preparatory School for Girls came in third place. In total, eight students across Dallas ISD took the stage for the annual competition on Friday, Jan. 16, at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. All finalists received a laptop, a personalized plaque, a gift bag with goodies, and a monetary gift from the sponsor, Foley & Lardner LLP. This year, an anonymous donor doubled the prize money. The theme…
Another chapter in SOC history celebrated with community parade
0“We wanted to do the parade right here in ‘The Cliff,’ says Principal Willie Johnson. “There have been talks of it being downtown, but we wanted it to be right here in the community that has supported us.” On the streets that raised them, the South Oak Cliff High School Golden Bears celebrated another historic milestone Saturday, as students, alumni, families, and longtime supporters lined the neighborhood for a championship parade honoring the 2025 UIL Class 5A Division II state champions. The Golden Bears once again stood at the center of attention, but this time surrounded by the community that…
Back where they belong: South Oak Cliff’s return to the top
0This has become a routine for the South Oak Cliff High School Golden Bears. For the fifth consecutive December, SOC returned to AT&T Stadium for the UIL Class 5A Division II State Championship game, but this time, the ending felt different. As the clock expired Saturday afternoon, coaches and players stood frozen in disbelief, tears streaming down their faces as the crowd roared in unison: “S-O-C! Who they rootin’ for?!” South Oak Cliff was back on top. After a two-year title drought, the Golden Bears reclaimed the throne, defeating the Dr. Thomas E. Randle High School Lions 35-19 to capture…
From Dallas ISD to touring with Wicked star Cynthia Erivo
0When Mark G. Meadows walks onstage as music director for Tony Award–winning actress Cynthia Erivo, he’s responsible for every detail the audience never sees, but always feels. Long before national stages, attention to musical chemistry was formed in a Dallas ISD classroom. Back then, Meadows spent much of his time practicing piano as a student at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. While several teachers there shaped Meadows as a musician, it’s the memories he made with his peers that stand out most. He remembers freestyle rapping in class with his friend, Marc Rebillet and…