NIAGARA, Wis. — In an era of segregation and deep racial division, Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s challenged America to live up to its ideals of “liberty and justice for all.”

They sought to overcome hatred with love, injustice with sacrifice and violence with nonviolence. In the process, they changed America and even the world.

“However,” says Niagara resident Ed Laarman, “Dr. King’s message and methods are still very relevant to our own time, with its polarization, racial tension, and fear of the foreigner.”

Laarman is the coordinator of the non-partisan local group, Christians for Racial Understanding: Community for All, or CRU:CA. The group is sponsoring an essay contest for ninth- through 12th-grade students in the region. The topic is “The Non-Violent Philosophy of Martin Luther King Jr.” Students are invited to submit a three- to four-page essay, typed and double-spaced on paper by Jan. 5. First place will receive $250, second place $150 and third place $50.

The winning essay will be read at the third-annual Martin Luther King Day Community Celebration, sponsored by CRU:CA, from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, at the First Presbyterian Church in Kingsford. The public is cordially invited to that event.

For more details about the contest, email northwoodscru@yahoo.com and write “Essay Contest” in the subject line. CRU:CA encourages all students to participate. “Whether or not you win a prize,” Laarman said, “you will learn a lot and be inspired by a great American.”