The Justice William O. Douglas Essay Contest

UPLIFTING LEGACY. EMPOWERING YOUTH.

Justice William O. Douglas (1898–1980), born and raised in Yakima, was the longest-serving justice in U.S. Supreme Court history. A tireless advocate for civil liberties, environmental conservation, and judicial independence, Douglas shaped some of the most critical legal conversations of the 20th century.
 

To honor his profound legacy, the Yakima Valley Museum proudly presents the Justice William O. Douglas Essay Contest—an annual opportunity for students to explore themes rooted in his life’s work and express their own vision for a just and sustainable future.

This year’s prompt was: In A Living Bill of Rights (1961), Justice Douglas wrote: “It is easy for those in power to regard anything with which they disagree as dangerous and untrue.” In Points of Rebellion (1970), he stated: “The First Amendment creates a sanctuary around the citizen’s beliefs. His ideas, his conscience, his convictions are his own concern, not the government’s.” What is the importance of the freedom to dissent in modern society? Students are encouraged to reflect on democracy, civil liberties, civic responsibility, and the courage required to speak truth to power.

COLLEGE LEVEL WINNERS 

First Place: “Through the Lens of Dissent: Photography as a Voice of Change” Rebeca Gomez, Year 1 Dental Student Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences 

Second Place: “They Not Like Us: The Sound of Dissent in Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Show” Vinson Russell, Jr., Sophomore Whitman College 

Third Place: “The Enduring Power of Dissent in Modern Democracy” Emmerson Miller, Junior Central Washington University, Douglas Honors College 

HIGH SCHOOL WINNER 

First Place: “Democracy and Dissent: Justice, Journalism, and Civil Disobedience” Audrey Livingston, Senior Eisenhower High School