Local Families Sponsor New Scholarship

Above, Thomas Sowell, namesake of the local Sowell Man Essays scholarship (see A Brief Introduction to Thomas Sowell, below).

The Sowell Man Essays

Two Awards Totaling $1,500

Essay submissions should be submitted by Saturday, March 23rd, 2024 no later than

5 PM. Details below.

1st Place Award - $1,000

2nd Place Award - $500

First and second place winners will have their essays published online.

The mission of The Sowell Man Essays is to introduce students to Thomas Sowell and learn about people who use facts to challenge the orthodoxy of mainstream social, cultural, and other narratives - those who often stand alone and are “putting truth above popularity”.

The Sowell Man Essays is sponsored by residents of Franklin.

The contest is open to Franklin, MA residents currently attending any high school grades 9-12, including public, private, and home schools. We are limiting this to Franklin residents this year and will consider opening this up next year.

The winners of the essay contest will be contacted on Saturday, April 9th, 2024.

The Essay

Each contestant will write an essay showcasing Thomas Sowell’s story and contributions. For example, but not limited to:

• Who is Thomas Sowell? What should we know about him?
• How does he challenge the orthodoxy of social and cultural mainstream narratives?
• What does it mean to be “A man alone”?
• Examples of his contributions

The essays will be judged for quality of content, grammar, writing style, and how well you understand and describe Thomas Sowell to the reader. Each contestant must cite references. There is no length restriction. AI generated content will disqualify you from the contest.

Submitting your Entry

Send all entries to SowellManEssays@gmail.com by Saturday, March 23rd, 2024 no later than 5 PM. Late entries will not be accepted.

Acceptable document formats to be attached in email: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx), PDF, or Text File (txt). Use double spaced lines. If you do not have access to a computer and are using a typewriter or handwriting your essay, you can turn it in at the Franklin Library on Saturday, March 23rd, 2024 between 2 PM and 5 PM.

In the body of the email include:

1. First and last name
2. Current grade level

Make sure to carbon copy (cc) at least 1 of your parents in the email.

A Brief Introduction to Thomas Sowell

From the inside cover of Maverick: A Biography of Thomas Sowell by Jason L. Riley:

Thomas Sowell is one of the great social theorists of our age. In a career spanning more than a half century, he has written over thirty books, covering topics from economic history and social inequality to political theory, race, and culture. His bold and unsentimental assaults on liberal orthodoxy have endeared him to many readers but have also enraged fellow intellectuals, the civil-rights establishment, and much of the mainstream media. The result has been a lack of acknowledgement of his scholarship among critics who prioritize political correctness.

In the first-ever biography of Sowell, Jason L. Riley gives this iconic thinker his due and responds to the detractors. Maverick showcases Sowell's most significant writings and traces the life events that shaped his ideas and resulted in a black orphan from the Jim Crow South becoming one of our foremost public intellectuals.

Learn More about Thomas Sowell

Biographies

Thomas Sowell: Common Sense in a Senseless World (Free to Choose Network, 2021). A documentary, free on Youtube and Amazon Prime

Maverick: A Biography of Thomas Sowell (Riley, 2021)

Autobiographies

A Personal Odyssey (Sowell, 2002)

Man of Letters (Sowel, 2007)

Books, Articles, and Essays

Thomas Sowell has written over 43 books and thousands of articles and essays. For a complete list of publications including books, articles and essays, please visit https://www.tsowell.com/.

Most Recent Book

Social Justice Fallacies (Sowell, 2023)