Collierville grad takes part in oratorical contest
The gravity of competing wasn’t lost on Miles Thomas. In fact, it was magnified once the 17-year-old came across a photo of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. performing a speech on the same ground where he was standing.
“I saw (the photo) on a wall in the building that I will be speaking in and found more inspiration in the fact that I’ll be speaking on the same stage that Dr. Martin Luther King has spoken on,” Thomas said.
A 2018 graduate of Collierville High School, Thomas was among more than 40 worldwide participants Thursday at the 2017-18 Optimist International Oratorical World Championship. Contestants delivered speeches on: “Where are My Roots of Optimism?” during the competition at the Center for Global Leadership at St. Louis University.
The topic hit home for Thomas, who plans to attend Trevecca Nazarene University in the fall.
“I have to give thanks to my mother and father for setting the foundation for me as far as giving back and being humble and thankful for what we do have and what we have gotten — the blessings I’ve gotten in my lifetime,” Thomas said.
Participating in the competition is yet another achievement for Thomas, who has performed volunteer work at various Memphis-area events since he was 9 — including the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and Ronald McDonald House. He has also written an album, “The Free Project,” and has published and sold a book, “Raven’s Recovery.”
Cary Woods, president of the Curve Optimist Club in Memphis, has served as a mentor for Thomas. Woods helped prepare Thomas for the competition and said he hopes Thomas’ success will pave the way for other Memphis-area youth.
“The media and the press continually report the news about young AfricanAmerican men, and most of the time it’s negative,” Woods said. “We can read the news, but we can do something about the news and that’s what the Curve Optimist Club and I want to do, which is motivate and nurture as many young people to find a different route than what quite a few are going on today.”
Thomas takes his role as a community advocate seriously. He wants to use his platform to push other young Memphians to get out into the community and make a difference for future generations.
“Especially in the city of Memphis, I encourage everyone to get out and volunteer, involve themselves in the community some way, involve themselves in the city some way,” Thomas said. “You’re always going to have someone you know that is going to be affected by that particular community.”
Even though Thomas didn’t advance to the championship round, he’s still grateful for the opportunity to represent Memphis.
“I feel blessed for making it as far as I did, and to even be among the youth that competed,” Thomas said. “I feel it can be an inspiration to others in my city, and I’m extremely thankful for the experience I’ve gained and the intangible things that have come out of it.”