Platform - Practice What You Preach

Platform ------ the dreaded word!  Thankfully, not all pageants require you to have a platform or cause to support.  However, when you do decide to promote or support a platform, the key is to practice what you preach! 

There is nothing worse that a pageant titleholder who says she's a spokesperson for this or ambassador for that, yet can't tell you anything about a national organization that supports the goal or any statistics or facts about a groups mission.  That's why I was very pleased to see these photographs of Miss International 2011 Ciji Dodds at the Library of Congress this past Presidents' Day, truly supporting her platform of Literacy by reading to children!

Oddly enough, there is even one of her flipping through the ancient......"card catalog".

Just remember - Platforms and Causes - go hard or go home!!!

America's Miss DC

Congratulations to Sarah Hillware, the new America's Miss District of Columbia

She is a junior at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs where she studies global public health.  After completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in 2013,  she will pursue both a Master of Public Health and a medical degree. She hosts an online radio show every Wednesday evening, highlighting local and global community efforts, entitled The Sarah Hillware Show.

Ambitious, passionate, intelligent and kind are some words that can be used to describe this year’s America’s Miss District of Columbia 2012, Sarah Hillware.

And in other news.....

Happy New Year folks!

I hope my silence on the M.A.O pageant speaks volumes about how I feel about THAT production!  After the wonderful event, in which Caressa Cameron joined the likes of my favorite Miss America - Vanessa Williams (1984) as well as the equally shocking, yet fun, event which brought us the youngest Miss America ever crowned - Teresa Scanlon, the powers that be sought fit to bring us THAT.

Have we not seen a resurgence in this country over the past twelve months about the DANGERS and traumatizing effects of bullying!?  What does the Miss America Organization go and do but BULLY some of the most talented, intelligent and charismatic young women in the country.  To say I was disappointed in their tactics would be an understatement.  On top of the fact that the WORLD knows Miss Florida should have been in the top 5, the sheer cruelty with which they treated those young women will not soon be forgotten.

What's done is done but I sure hope that all of my true pageant purists and fans write everyone they can so we don't have to witness this horror and injustice next year!

And in other news, before heading out to my MAO watch party with my fellow directors and "former" pageant girls, I had the pleasure to accompany some beautiful young women from the International, Black America and Black USA system to "Black Oppulence" - A VIP gifting suite which preceded the glamorous BET Honors taping in Washington.  The event was hosted by BET's 106 & Park Host Rosci Diaz and Minnesota Viking Visanthe Shiancoe  Enjoy the pics!

 Miss International 2011 Ciji Dodds, and BET's 106 & Park Host Rosci Diaz. 

 Miss International hits the red carpet

 Miss Black Washington USA 2012,  BET's 106 & Park Host Rosci Diaz and 

Miss Black America Baltimore 2012, Alexandra Morton

 

 Miss Black America Baltimore 2012 hits the red carpet

 

Vogue - Strike a pose

On November 18, a few state International queens joined Miss International 2011 Ciji Dodds at the inaugural Miss Largo High School pageant.   Miss Virginia International 2012 - Kristyn Admire and Miss Maryland International 2012 - Chardia Murray served as judges.  Ciji had the distinct honor of crowning the new Miss Largo!    The new queen, a graduating senior, will go on to compete in the Miss Maryland Collegiate America pageant next summer!

The ladies took some time after their busy evening to strike a pose with Mrs. Maryland International 2011, Sandra Bryan-Grier.

No Inspiration......but then, we give!

October has been a slow and busy month.  How is that possible?  Well for me, it's been pretty busy on a personal front - lots of work to keep me busy, football mom duties that are never ending and catching up on my new guilty pleasure - the television show "Revenge".   It's also been pretty slow in the pageant world, most systems are just getting into the revamp mode after summer national/international pageants.  Frankly, I've had absolutely no motivation to write anything positive or inspirational about pageantry.

But then something amazing happened!!!!  HOLIDAY SEASON fever snuck up on me!  I know what you're thinking, holidays - already!  Yep, it's hear folks.  In a few days, it will be Halloween.  Already the stores are a buzz with pumpkins and pretty fall decorations, which will soon turn to treats of Thanksgiving!  Soon after that (or during the same time) all the scents, feels, tastes and thoughts that we cherish about Hanukkah and Christmas will overtake us. 

You will begin to see tons of lovely ladies in crowns and sashes riding in parades, reading to children, visiting the elderly and manning tables as they pass out a wealth of information on various topics.  But what I love most about this time of year and how it relates to pageantry is the way women and girls from all types of systems start thinking of ways to give!!!

Whether is a toy drive, a canned food donation, gloves, hats and/or coats for needy children and families.  Pageant girls throughout the country make it a special point this time of year to find ways to give back and use the crown for good. 

I lost my mojo for a minute.  :-( But once again, I am inspired and look for and report on all the great things that pageant girls do with their titles and the wonderful examples they set.  Off we go...............to give!