The National Association of Black Storytellers is now accepting entries for its 2nd annual NABS National Storytelling Contest.

Community members are encouraged to tell family, neighborhood and historical stories, and to enter narratives into the contest. 

From NABS:

Who are our unsung, unknown and uncrowned heroes/ sheroes who have had and are having a profound impact on our lives? The NABS National Storytelling Contest: Lighting the Way: Stories of Our Heroes/Sheroes – In our Homes, Community and Our Nation provides a nationwide platform for others to tell stories of people who have lit the fire and is lighting the way for hope, strength, courage and empowerment in their lives.

The call is to create a storytelling record and share an original story inspired by the NABS’s statement, entitled “The Need to Crown our Heroes/Sheroes.” 

Read more at NABS

The competition has both a youth and an adult category. Winners in each category will receive a cash prize, along with the opportunity to perform during the 32nd Annual National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference.

The conference is slated to take place on Wednesday, November 12 through Sunday November 16 in Chicago, IL. The deadline for submissions is September 21, 2014.

To read the official NABS statement in its entirety and review guidelines to enter the second annual National Storytelling Contest, as well as register to attend this year’s Festival, please visit www.NABSinc.org.

Sound off below!