Jefferson and Blackman win Miss Black & Gold 2017

L-R: Destiny Jefferson, Anntraniece Smith, Jasmine Blackman

After six rounds of competition Destiny Jefferson of Orange and Jasmine Blackman of Manvel wins the title of Miss Black & Gold - Epsilon Tau Lambda and Miss Black & Gold Eta Gamma, respectively, and Anntraniece M. Smith of Memphis, Tennessee wins First Runnerup on November 16 at Prairie View A&M University.  The winners will receive at total of $2,700 in scholarship and prizes.

The two queens will represent the chapters in the 2018 Texas Conference of Alpha Chapters Miss Black and Gold on February  17-18 in Dallas, Texas.

In the preliminary competitions Jefferson won Personal Interview, Talent and On-stage Question, while Blackman won the Evening Wear and Projection. , Scholarship and Congeniality winner, Marissa Nicol Jacquet of Port Arthur also tied for the Congeniality Award, Kendol La’Faye Pitts of Tyler won the Swimwear Award and Taylor M. Scott of Houston won the Award for Ad Sales.

The pageant was exciting culmination of activity following some 10 weeks of personal training and development, rehearsals and program attendance.  Other principals in the pageant included the contestants Zahria Iman Richardson-Battle is from Bay City, Desirai M Nolan is from Austin, Texas, Tateania Nealey is from Houston, Texas, Amelia Brumfield is Fort Worth, Texas; outgoing queens, Nikisha Francois (Miss Black & Gold Eta Gamma), Moriah Colbert (Miss Black & Gold Epsilon Tau Lambda), the Famed Classic Dance Ensemble  and Mime Team of Prairie View A&M University.  The MC (Hosts) were Morgan Jackson and Keanu Florence.

The pageant producers were Xante Wallace and Regan Johnson (Co-Chairs - Eta Gamma) and Frederick V. Roberts and Lynn Smith (Co-Chairs - Epsilon Tau Lambda), Choreographer and Contestant Direction, Kenneth Epting, President of Exclamation Dance Studio of Houston.  Nikisha Francois (Miss Eta Gamma 2017) and Jocelyn Usery (Miss Eta Gamma 2016) are in charge of Contestant Development and pageant assistants.

Judges for the pageant were  Jeff Wallace (President the Altus Foundation), Ivy Walls (Miss PVAMU 2015), Meredith McCall Harrison (Miss Black Houston 1989), Jeremy Craft (Engineer), Shante Moore (Assistant Director Student Engagement PVAMU) and Robert Thomas (Teacher/Administrator HISD).

Plans are underway for the 2018-19 pageant.  Interested persons may gain information by writing email: missblackandgold2016@gmail.com.