NAACP DeKalb Wins 5 Medals In National Youth Competition

DEKALB COUNTY, GA — Five youth from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's DeKalb County branch won medals at a national competition earlier this month, NAACP DeKalb officials announced last week.

The five students won silver and bronze medals at the Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) competition, which took place virtually July 7-11, according to a news release. More than 500 ACT-SO students from NAACP branches across the country participated.

NAACP DeKalb's 2021 ACT-SO medalists are:

• Layla Alexis White, silver medal – Dramatic Arts: Acting
• Layla Alexis White, silver medal – Dance: Modern
• Josiah O’Conner, silver medal – Music: Classical Instrumental
• Sultan Ziyad, silver medal – Stem: Architecture
• Daraja Maye, bronze medal – Visual Arts: Photography

“I am so proud of our youth. They really worked hard and was committed to this annual program working with great mentors," NAACP DeKalb President Teresa Hardy said in the release.

ACT-SO is yearlong achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among black high school students. The NAACP DeKalb ACT-SO Committee develops mechanisms to encourage and inspire black youth toward excellence in academics, cultural pursuits and opportunities through community support in local annual high school competitions.

To support ACT-SO students, you can donate to this program on the website www.naacpDeKalb.org