"A Next Level" Dwayne White, 2026 Juneteenth Essay Contest

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The 2026 Juneteenth High School Essay Contest invited high school students in the Battle Creek area to respond to this year's prompt, rooted in the theme Rooted in Culture. United in Freedom.

"Mr. Marcus taught me that freedom is not only something fought for, but it's something passed down. And the way you honor it is by choosing to uplift others."

This year we received 18 essays from students across the Battle Creek area. Dwayne's essay tied for second place.

A Next Level

My name is Dwayne Austen-Marquise White, a sixteen-year-old African American male from the Washington Heights Community. My life did not begin in Battle Creek, but it was changed by the people I’ve met here. My family and I are from Chicago, Illinois, and came to Battle Creek in search of safety, stability, and new opportunities. I learned quickly this was never easily given to people “like me”. My mom worked hard, that leaving my brothers and I bouncing between after‑school programs and summer camps. One summer, right before the fifth grade, I walked into New Level Sports Ministries. Here, I met a goofy old man whose name was way too similar to mine, Marcus Dewayne Austin, or “ Mr. Marcus”. 

This guy was funny, I tell you. He was the kind of person who could have a whole room laughing. He was also the guy who would look you in the eye and tell you the truth you didn’t want to hear. He might not have been the first to reprimand you, but he was definitely going to be the one to keep it real. Even though he could be harsh, you could never dislike him for it. You knew it was genuine and came from a place of love. Even before I truly understood what was happening, he made Battle Creek feel less alien. 

Mr. Marcus was like this from the very first time I met him. To my brothers and me, it felt like he thought of us strangers as family. He drove us home when my mom was working late, took us to the movies, and even took us for haircuts. It was the kind of care and generosity that didn’t feel like charity. He became a person to trust in this place when it was just me, my mom, and my brothers. He built trust through genuine care. He was goofy until he needed to be serious, and when he corrected you, it wasn’t to embarrass you; it was to uplift you. 

One day, I asked Mr Marcus, a forty-something-year-old man, why he still did what he did. After he smiled his same old joyful smile, he said, “Because I love it, and as long as I’m alive, I have the freedom to give this community the same love it gave me”. At the time, I didn’t understand what he meant by “freedom”. I didn’t know freedom could be something you use, not just something you have. 

As I grew older, I learned to understand what his words truly meant. Freedom wasn’t just about safety or opportunity; it was about responsibility. As a young black man in America, I learned that my freedom is both precious and fragile. I am young, healthy, and most importantly, free. I have the freedom to choose who I become, but I also carry the weight of the generations before me who didn’t have that choice. Mr. Marcus taught me that freedom is not only something fought for, but it's something passed down. And the way you honor it is by choosing to uplift others. I choose to help my community as much as I can because, like Mr. Marcus, I wish to give to those who gave to me, support a community that continues to grow, and encourage the lives of young black men. Now, I mentor younger kids at New Level the same way he once mentored me. 

I dedicate this essay to Marcus Dewayne Austin, who passed away in October of 2024. I wish that he could see the man I’m becoming, a man shaped by his example. A man rooted in the love he gave and reaching toward the future he believed in. His legacy reminds me that freedom is not just a right. It is a responsibility. And I intend to carry it forward. Carrying his legacy means choosing service every day, not just remembering him. Long live “Mr. Marcus”

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The High School Essay Contest is led and coordinated by the Battle Creek Coalition for Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (BCTRHT) as part of the Juneteenth Planning Committee's annual celebration.