Alexandria marked the start of February’s Black History Month with its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Student Poster Exhibition, a longstanding youth art contest celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. King. The 2026 exhibition opened with an awards ceremony on Feb. 1 at the Charles Houston Recreation Center, where student artwork was unveiled to families, educators, and community members.

Sponsored by the Alexandria Black History Museum in partnership with the Office of Historic Alexandria, the contest invites Alexandria City Public Schools students in grades 2 through 5 to reflect on Dr. King’s message through visual art. Now more than 30 years old, the exhibition has become a signature Alexandria tradition and a key feature of the city’s Black History Month programming.

The 2026 theme, “Dreaming Together: Learning from the Past, Shaping the Future,” encouraged students to connect Dr. King’s vision of justice and equality with their own hopes for the future. Using crayons, markers, paint, and mixed media, young artists explored ideas of unity, fairness and community, producing a diverse and expressive collection of posters.

“I was inspired by Dr. King to create Stop the Gangs,” said Ahamad Sekandari, a 5th grade student at William Ramsay Elementary School. “I don’t want people fighting and getting killed.”

Following the opening ceremony, the posters remained on public display from Feb. 1 through March 1 allowing residents and visitors to view the artwork throughout Black History Month. The annual exhibition is free and open to the public, reinforcing its role as both an educational program and a community celebration.

By pairing student creativity with civic history, Alexandria’s MLK Poster Contest continues to honor Dr. King’s legacy while giving young voices a prominent place in the city’s cultural life.