The New Miss Black Arizona USA has Started Her Reign as the First Winner of this Pageant in Over Three Years
The search is over for the next Miss Black Arizona USA. Miss Rachel Wilhite, Doctoral Student, at the University of Arizona College of Public Health in Tucson, celebrates her scholastic achievement, leadership involvement and community service efforts.
Tucson, AZ (PRWEB) April 7, 2005
(TucsonUrban. com) The search is over for the next Miss Black Arizona USA. The call for Arizona contestants has attracted outstanding young ladies from around the state. This year's stellar pageant was held in Tucson, AZ February 12, 2005. Rachel Lauren Wilhite (Tucson, AZ.) the daughter of the late Al Wilhite (State Risk Management) and Sylvia Wilhite, was crowned Miss Black Arizona 2005 at the Miss Black Arizona Scholarship Pageant. Rachel, a graduate of University High School in Tucson, AZ., is an alumnus of Xavier University of Louisiana where she received a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics and Statistics. Currently she is attending the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health as a 3rd year doctoral student in Epidemiology. She received her Masters in Public Health (MPH), biostatistics concentration, from the Zuckerman College of Public Health in December 2004.
The Miss Black Arizona USA Scholarship Organization, a non profit organization, mission is to identify, develop, and promote leadership within the African American community among women 13-27 years of age, to develop young African American women into strong, empowered, and educated leaders and role models; to celebrate the many shapes, sizes, colors, and textures of African American beauty, achievement and womanhood; and to become one of the largest scholarship providers for African American women in Arizona.
State delegates devote hours weekly to community service & platform development, as well as participate in a unique development program that encompasses workshops and seminars that focus on personal development, leadership training, and life skills development.
For the first time in the pageant's 31-year history, the Tucson branch hosted this special event. The theme for this year's pageants, "There's No Stopping Sunshine," captures the historical and present day beauty of Arizona, the sunshine state, while depicting a positive attitude for overcoming obstacles. The 2005-2006 pageant provided all contestants' workshops, cultural explorations centered on the multi-faceted historical resources of Black Arizonan women, with the idea that "There is No Stopping Their Sunshine. We honored the collective wisdom of yesterdays sunshine makers, creators of sun-rays forged by prominent Arizona history making Black females, still shining down on the youth today.
The Miss Black Arizona USA Scholarship Organization, Inc. aggressively maintains a progressive stance in the representation and education of African American women, and offers the pageant as a safe & healthy environment to showcase talent and the unique beauty of the African American culture.
Those interested in attending, sponsoring, or participating in pageant events should call Jennifer Moore, Exec. Director whitelombo@aol. com or log on to www. YouthTogether. org. To learn more about Miss Rachel Wilhite, please log on to www. Tucsonurban. com to read her most recent interview, view pictures, and find out about sponsorship opportunities.
The Miss Black USA Pageant & Miss Black Teen Pageants were created as an alternative to the traditional pageant systems. Since that time, both of these pageants have been the preeminent pageant for women and female teens of color. Thousands of African American women have made these pageants a national tradition. For more information on the national pageant programs visit: www. missblackusa. org or www. missblackteenusa. org. The Miss Black USA & Miss Black Teen USA Pageants are separately managed and operated.
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