About the Miss Black Tennessee USAScholarship Organization: The Miss Black Tennessee Scholarship Organization is an auxiliary of The Miss Black USA Scholarship Organization. In 2006, the Miss Black Tennessee Scholarship Pageant was welcomed into state prominence after nearly a 10-year hiatus with a successful record of over 300 attendees from across the state. The Miss Black Tennessee Scholarship Pageant is the official preliminary to the national Miss Black USA Scholarship Pageant.
About the Miss Black USA Scholarship Organization:
The Miss Black USA Pageant and Scholarship Foundation, Inc. develops and promotes national leadership among women in the African American community. Founded in 1984 to advance educational and professional opportunities for women of African- American descent, it is recognized as hosting one of the premiere pageants of this nation. Winners of official "Miss Black USA" state pageants will use her civic platform to promote awareness of these issues during her reign.
2007 Queen:Kristen Herring, Miss Black Tennessee USA 2007-2008, is native of Lumberton, NC. She is a doctoral candidate in the department of biochemistry at Vanderbilt University, a graduate of Spelman College and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Herring was awarded a $1500 scholarship andwill spend the next year of her reign increasing awareness and community involvement towards her civic platform, Time to Get On The "M.O.V.E.," an acronym for "Motivation, Organization, Values, Education” Herring has been named the official spokesperson of the Governor Phil Bredesen’s (TN) L.I.F.T. Mentoring Program for foster children.
2006 Queen:Kalilah Allen-Harris, Miss Black Tennessee USA 2006-2007 and Miss Black USA 2007-2008, is a native of Montgomery, AL. She is a freshman student in the Meharry Medical College School of Medicine,a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Her civic platform supports the research and awareness of Juvenile Diabetes. In June 2007,Harris represented the state of Tennessee in the Miss Black USA Scholarship pageant held in Gambia, Africa. As Miss Black USA, she receivesa $20,000 scholarship and becomes national spokesperson for the Miss Black USA organization.
Executive Director:Elaine Cato, a former Miss Black Tennessee & Miss Black USA,is native of Nashville, TN.She was a first runner-up in the second season of ABC’s American Inventor with her invention, the Annette Convertible Bra, which lead to a production deal with Maidenform. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from TennesseeStateUniversity anda Master of Arts degree in Higher Education from the University of Connecticut. She is a realtor by profession and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Scholarships: Winner: $1,500 College Scholarship
First Runner Up: $1,000 College Scholarship
Second Runner Up: $500 College Scholarship
Third and Fourth Runner Up: Gift Certificates, 2-Tier Trophy, Flower Bouquet, Official
Pageant Plaque, Pageant T-Shirt, Promotional Opportunities in their Community
Marketing:
•Recruitment Events in Major Cities
•Platform and Sponsorship Support
•Advertising with Urban Radio Stations
•Public Relations and Media Relations
•Colleges, Churches, and Non-Profits
•Websites and Viral Marketing
Sponsors:The Miss Black Tennessee Scholarship Pageant is an opportunity for companies to target a diverse consumer market and to gain tremendous exposure for their products and/or services. Any donations provided by a business or organization will be considered as a form of advertising and/or promotion and therefore may be considered tax deductible. Levels of sponsorship range from $200 - $5000.
Sponsors have included Allstate Insurance Company, Coca Cola Community Connection, American Heart Association, Embassy Suites, TennesseeStateUniversity, International Academy of Design and Technology, Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Resorts, Neely's BBQ, Equity Plus Mortgage, Level 88 Jazz Bistro
Media partners have include WUBT 101.1 FM, WQQK 92.1 FM, WQOX 88.5 FM, WFSK 88.1 FM, The Tennessee Tribune, East TN Black Pages, Metro Nashville Community Access TV, Urban Marketing and Memphis Black Online
Contact Information:
The Miss Black Tennessee Scholarship Pageant and Organization
P.O. Box 2035
Antioch, TN37011
615.593.0178
Media Contact:
Aerial Ellis Urbane Imagery 615.496.6826
Kristen Herring
MISS BLACK TENNESSEE 2007-2008
“Never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up.”
- Kristen Herring, Miss Black Tennessee 2007-2008
Herring, who currently resides in Nashville, Tenn., is the daughter of Byron and Iris Herring of Lumberton, NC. She is a doctoral candidate in the department of biochemistry at VanderbiltUniversity. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from SpelmanCollege in Atlanta, GA where she was a member of the Mu Pi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Crowned Miss Black Tennessee in 2007, Herring was awarded a $1500 scholarship andwill spend the next year of her reign increasing awareness and community involvement towards her civic platform, Time to Get On The "M.O.V.E.," an acronym for "Motivation, Organization, Values, Education."
Since her reign, Herring has been named the official spokesperson and mentor for Governor Phil Bredesen’s L.I.F.T. Mentorship Initiative, which strives to provide mentors for the 1,500 teens in state foster care.
She has served as the secretary of the Organization of Black Graduate and Professional Students (OBGAPS) at VanderbiltUniversity, secretary of the Nashville Chapter of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College (NAASC) and secretary and membership chair of National Urban League Young Professionals of Middle Tennessee (ULYPMT). She also enjoys doing service with the Alliance for Cultural Diversity in Research (ACDR) at VanderbiltUniversity.
Her love for music and performance art led her to participate with the Spelman College String Ensemble, Atlanta University Center Orchestra, Morehouse King’s Chapel Gospel Choir, and to perform in GeorgiaStateUniversity’s Original Production of “Cinderella,” Spelman’s Parents’ Weekend Celebration in Black, and “Ain’t Misbehavin’.”
She says, “I have been truly blessed and I realize that to whom much is given, much is required.” To that end,Herring hopes to merge her academic zeal for science with her passion for service into a career in public policy.
Herring will represent the state of Tennessee in the Miss Black USA competition in June 2008.