ST. PAUL, MN - Rosemount Middle School students are the statewide winners of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights' Living the Legacy youth video contest, the Department announced today.

The competition invited young people from across the state to create short videos on how they view race, diversity and civil rights and reflected on how far we have come since the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 50 years ago by President Lyndon Johnson. The contest is part of a week-long series of MDHR events celebrating Human Rights Week in Minnesota.

Sixth and eighth grade students from Rosemount Middle School submitted the video titled Racism in the Way, which presents a dramatic scenario in which a student is harassed by classmates who tell him he does not belong here.

Racism doesn't stop with laws. It stops because of you, the video concludes.

The winning video can be viewed online this morning.

Commissioner Kevin Lindsey will recognize the Rosemount students at 2 p.m. on Dec. 11 at Rosemount Middle School. The Commissioner will talk with students about how the Civil Rights Act was passed and the challenges that remain today to ensure that education, jobs and equal opportunity are available to all.

This is the second year that MDHR sponsored the video contest for Minnesota youth. Last year's contest challenged students to create videos on what the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King's dream mean to them in their lives today. This is the second year Rosemount Middle School students submitted an award-winning entry.

For more information about the 'Living the Legacy' video contest and other Minnesota Human Rights Week events, visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow us on Twitter at @mnhumanrights.

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Contact: Jeff Holman at 651-539-1090
or Jeff.Holman@state.mn.us

Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Communications Department
Freeman Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155