More than 260,000 young people have benefited from initiative’s development & inspiration since its inception
Talented young people from a wide array of disciplines took their place in history recently by being recognized as national winners in the NAACP ACT-SO competitions. ACT-SO--the Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics--is a major youth initiative of the NAACP. Gold, silver and bronze medalists were announced during the NAACP's 31st annual celebration of ACT-SO that concluded with award ceremonies July 12 in New York City, NY.
ACT-SO is a yearlong enrichment program designed to recruit, stimulate, improve and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African American high school students. Gold medalists at the local level qualify for the national finals held each summer.
This year’s winners by category, hometown and NAACP branch affiliation follow below:
| Category | Place | First Name | Last Name | Locale | Branch |
| Architecture | Gold | Darryl | Hudson | Geneva, IL | Dupage County Branch |
| Architecture | Silver | Noah | Kramer | Kalamazoo, MI | Metropolitan Kalamazoo Branch |
| Architecture | Bronze | Michael | Edwards | Tallahassee, FL | Tallahassee Branch |
| Biology/Microbiology | Gold | Kenneth | Callier | Hempstead, NY | Lakeview Branch |
| Biology/Microbiology | Silver | Melissa | Sanchez | Corona, NY | Mid-Manhattan Branch |
| Biology/Microbiology | Bronze | Yodit | Tsegye | Bowie, MD | Washington DC Branch |
| Chemistry/Biochemistry | Gold | Elayna | Tillman | Dallas , TX | Dallas Branch |
| Chemistry/Biochemistry | Silver | Dasha | Savage | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia Branch |
| Chemistry/Biochemistry | Bronze | Lacie | Pierre | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles Branch |
| Computer Science | Gold | Michael | Mekonnen | Silver Sping, MD | Montgomery County Branch |
| Computer Science | Silver | Travis | Nwachokor | Missouri City, TX | Houston Branch |
| Computer Science | Bronze | Malcom | Keith | Dayton, OH | Dayton Branch |
| Dance | Gold | Gregory | Manning, II | Indianapolis, IN | Greater Indianapolis Branch |
| Dance | Silver | Adama | Ideozu | Los Angeles, CA | Altadena Branch |
| Dance | Bronze | Chelsea | Conwright | Houston, TX | Houston Branch |
| Dramatics | Gold | Asia | Robinson | Detroit, MI | Detroit Youth Council |
| Dramatics | Silver | Phillip | Young | Houston, TX | Houston Branch |
| Dramatics | Bronze | Krista | King | Orlando, FL | Orange County Branch |
| Drawing | Gold | Richard | Pean | Brooklyn, NY | Brooklyn Branch |
| Drawing | Silver | Yasmin | DeJesus | Newark, NJ | Newark Branch |
| Drawing | Bronze | Zachary | Cobb | Arlington, TN | Memphis Branch |
| Earth and Space Sciences | Gold | Erika | Trigg | Saginaw, MI | Bay City Branch |
| Earth and Space Sciences | Silver | Anita | Thomas | Crown Point , IN | Gary Branch |
| Earth and Space Sciences | Bronze | Derell | Wilson | Norwich, CT | Robertsine Duncan Youth Council |
| Engineering | Gold | John | Boykin III | Brunswick, OH | Cleveland Branch |
| Engineering | Silver | Marius | Bizimungu | Buffalo, NY | Buffalo Branch |
| Engineering | Bronze | Timothy | Walden | Nashville, TN | Nashville Branch |
| Entrepreneurship | Gold | Gabrielle | McBay | Desoto, TX | Dallas Branch |
| Entrepreneurship | Silver | Marne | Garretson | Clarksburg, MD | Montgomery County Branch |
| Entrepreneurship | Bronze | Selena | Mitchell | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio Branch |
| Filmmaking | Gold | Simmie | Sims | Compton, CA | Long Beach Branch |
| Filmmaking | Silver | Erika | Sims | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento Branch |
| Filmmaking | Bronze | James | McNeil Jr. | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles Branch |
| Mathematics | Gold | Muhga | Eltigani | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia Branch |
| Mathematics | Silver | Phillip | Nwachokor | Missouri City, TX | Houston Branch |
| Mathematics | Bronze | Nadiya | Cooper | Linden, NJ | Newark Branch |
| Medicine and Health | Gold | Queenosob | Hashi | Buffalo, NY | Buffalo Branch |
| Medicine and Health | Silver | Eshan | Safaya | Jackson, MS | Jackson-Hinds Youth Council |
| Medicine and Health | Bronze | Jamesa | Hines | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia Branch |
| Music Composition | Gold | Alfred | Sheppard, Jr. | Tampa, FL | Hillsborough County Branch |
| Music Composition | Silver | Cameron | Thompkins | Garland, TX | Garland Branch |
| Music Composition | Bronze | Alexander | Cummings | Camden, NJ | Camden County Branch |
| Music: Inst./Classical | Gold | William | Hailey | Norfolk, VA | Norfolk Branch |
| Music: Inst./Classical | Silver | Matthew | Daley | Silver Spring, MD | Montgomery County Branch |
| Music: Inst./Classical | Bronze | Bryant | Harris | Clevekand, OH | Cleveland Branch |
| Music: Inst./Contemp. | Gold | Braxton | Cook | Silver Spring, MD | Montgomery County Branch |
| Music: Inst./Contemp. | Silver | Alexander | Cummings | Camden, NJ | Camden County Branch |
| Music: Inst./Contemp. | Bronze | Quran | Shaheed | Pasadena, CA | Altadena Branch |
| Music: Vocal/Classical | Gold | Justin | Austin | New York, NY | Brooklyn Branch |
| Music: Vocal/Classical | Silver | LaRon | Thompson | Kansas City, KS | Kansas City Youth Council |
| Music: Vocal/Classical | Bronze | Ryan | Mack | Orlando, FL | Orange County Branch |
| Music: Vocal/Contemp. | Gold | Teira | Church | Los Angeles, CA | Beverly Hills/Hollywood Branch |
| Music: Vocal/Contemp. | Silver | Jeniffer | Criss | Dallas, TX | Arlington Branch |
| Music: Vocal/Contemp. | Bronze | Khadijah | Rolle | Miami, FL | Miami-Dade Youth Council |
| Oratory | Gold | Brendien | Mitchell | Ocala, FL | Orange County Branch |
| Oratory | Silver | Auriel | Armstrong | Long Beach, CA | Long Beach Branch |
| Oratory | Bronze | Saxton | Johnson-Walker | Covington, WA | Seattle-King County Branch |
| Original Essay | Gold | Jasmyne | Dennis | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia Branch |
| Original Essay | Silver | David | Harris | Silver Spring, MD | Montgomery County Branch |
| Original Essay | Bronze | Ife | Madzimoyo | Stone Mountain, GA | Atlanta Branch |
| Painting | Gold | Tavvon | Reynolds | Pikesville, MD | Baltimore County Branch |
| Painting | Silver | Matthew | Bankhead | Camden, NJ | Camden County Branch |
| Painting | Bronze | Sophia | Wong | Miami, FL | Miami Dade Branch |
| Photography | Gold | Ife | Madzimoyo | Stone Mountain, GA | Atlanta Branch |
| Photography | Silver | Sophia | Wong | Miami, FL | Miami Dade Branch |
| Photography | Bronze | Carson | Ward | Columbia, MD | Howard County Branch |
| Physics | Silver | Phillip | Nwachokor | Missouri City, TX | Houston Branch |
| Physics | Bronze | Calandria | Frazier | Plainfield, IL | Dupage County Branch |
| Playwriting | Gold | Madeline | James | Anchorage, AK | Anchorage Branch |
| Playwriting | Silver | Jacquelyn | Benford | Chattanooga, TN | Chattanooga-Hamilton County Branch |
| Playwriting | Bronze | Tochi | Nworu | Piscataway, NJ | Metuchen-Edison Area Branch |
| Poetry | Gold | Rekara | Gage | Silver Spring, MD | Montgomery County Branch |
| Poetry | Silver | Marque | Linder | Buffalo, NY | Buffalo Branch |
| Poetry | Bronze | Danielle | Buckingham | Louisville, MS | Winston County Branch |
| Sculpture | Gold | Morel | Doucet | Miami, FL | Miami Dade Branch |
| Sculpture | Silver | Tearsa | Thomas | Middle River, MD | Baltimore County Branch |
| Sculpture | Bronze | Jennifer | Lantigua | Newark, NJ | Newark Branch |
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