Miss Black USA 2007

Miss Black USA 2008 Crowned

2008-06-24T23:40:00.000-07:00

Whoa, what a wonderful time we all had in Vegas! Last week marked the beginning of the 2008 Miss Black USA Scholarship Pageant, and the decisions for judges are getting more difficult each year. Everyone worked really hard to make things come together for the preliminary competitions and the final night of competition in which the new Miss Black USA was crowned. The production was absolutely amazing!

Even more amazing than the production is the young lady chosen to represent black women in the USA over the next year of her life: Miss Black Georgia USA, Kristen Elizabeth White! :) Congratulations, girl! I am so excited about the opportunities you'll have in the coming year. The organization couldn't have asked for a better queen this year. I know you'll uphold the legacy and make us all proud!

After attending the reception in honor of Kristen, I went to my room to take my crown and sash off for the last time and got a little misty-eyed. In a final farewell, I'm signing off for the last time in my Miss Black USA blog. This year has been phenomenal, and I am honored to have been able to serve as Miss Black USA 2007. Goodbye for now. :)

God Bless,
Kalilah Allen-Harris
Miss Black USA 2007

Farewell Speech

2008-06-24T23:35:00.000-07:00

I cannot even begin to form a thought without first recognizing the glory and graciousness of God, my Savior and Protector. Thank You so much, God, for all that You have been to me and all that You will continue to be!

Life as Miss Black USA 2007 has allowed me to acquire a myriad of experiences and realize many personal goals. I have grown both spiritually and emotionally in profound ways. If I could boast of only one reason to be grateful for my reign, my personal growth alone would be enough to prove this experience priceless. However, I have many more reasons to be grateful. God has an awesome way of ordering the steps of His children. Being granted the opportunity to travel to Gambia to compete for and win the title of Miss Black USA has been nothing short of a dream come true. I have had the privilege of meeting truly remarkable people and touching the lives of young people, one of my greatest passions.

Everyone needs help along the way to success. This lesson becomes more apparent with each passing day. Thank you, Mom (Dr. Beverly Allen), family, and close friends for being unfailingly supportive of me. I am so blessed to have you in my life, and I love you dearly. Without you, I would not be able to withstand many of the challenges I face. Because this lesson carries over into all aspects of life, I cannot neglect sending special thanks to Karen Arrington, the founder and acting executive director of the Miss Black USA Scholarship Pageant Organization. Gratitude is also in order for The Sanders family and the Miss Black Tennessee USA Scholarship Pageant Committee for your support in preparation for the Miss Black USA 2007 Scholarship Pageant in Gambia, West Africa.

To the young ladies vying for the title of Miss Black USA: dare to dream big! Dr. Henry Grayson put this idea very eloquently when he said, “who and what we are is so magnificent that it far exceeds our wildest imaginations and dreams.” Although only one will leave with the title today, all can aspire to make significant contributions to our communities. Marianne Williamson said, “…You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you….We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.” Choose not to shrink. You are to be commended for being upstanding, intelligent, beautiful Black women. Congratulations on making it this far.

To the young lady who will be crowned the next Miss Black USA: make your reign spectacular! Prayer will be your greatest ally. Be patient, kind, and understanding, but most importantly, be proactive. You will often encounter difficulties; those are the things that test our preparedness for our blessings. You can conquer the world!

No matter where I go in life, I will always remember this experience and all it has taught. I hope I was able to make you proud. I am honored to have been able to serve as Miss Black USA 2007. Thank you for supporting the empowerment of talented young women.

Sincerely,
Kalilah Allen-Harris
Miss Black USA 2007

“…we as human beings are indeed spiritual beings and as such are quite limitless in our potential to be happy.” –Henry Grayson, Ph.D.

Long Time No Chat

2008-03-26T00:37:00.001-07:00

Heyyyyyyy!!

Whew! I'm really glad to be blogging again. Lots has been going on lately, and I've nearly lost my mind at least a time or two! JK. :) I'm finally, back, though...with a vengeance. I'm getting back into the groove of things now and have pretty much caught up with a few things that have been back logged in my day-to-day existence. It's pretty late right now, though, so I'll have to give updates from the last 2 months of my life a little later. Just wanted to say, "hi, I'm still here." :)

God Bless,
Kalilah

Just Thinking: Written Nov. 28, 2007

2008-01-22T01:44:00.000-08:00

Being able to encourage people is such a blessing. Knowing people who are easily encouraged is even better. :) Unfortunately, nothing in the world that anyone can ever say can change the way one feels about himself or herself. If a person feels bad about or dislikes himself, no one but God can turn that around. Self worth is something that you can only gain from learning about how much God loves you and how truly unique and special you are.

We were all put here for a purpose ordained by God far before we were ever conceived. We are beautiful, and we are all miracles! Can you imagine a love so strong? That’s amazing to me! Just think of all the things in your life that you have yet to accomplish and all the dreams that you have yet to realize. You are in for a special treat! Sometimes I am brought to tears by the overwhelming happiness I get from thinking of the successes and meaningful relationships that I know God will provide. Wow!! How did we get so lucky (the more appropriate word would be “blessed”)? I can’t answer that, but I thank God for all that He is and all He continues to do in my life EVERY night.

This was just something on my heart that I felt I needed to share for anyone needing any encouragement. I have to go back and re-read old encouraging messages sometimes because I need it every now and then too! :) We all have times of disappointment and doubt. Thank God we can be delivered from these feelings! We grow from each experience we live through.

I feel you.

God Bless,
Kalilah

Kansas City, MO Promotional Weekend

2008-01-22T01:31:00.000-08:00

Kansas City…woo-hoo!! :) Friday morning, I flew from Los Angeles to Atlanta to Kansas City, MO. Although the trip was a little rough, the weekend was well worth it. I was privileged to have met Miss Black Nevada, Kansas, Missouri, Arizona, Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois and spend some time getting to know them this weekend. They’re such awesome young women! Friday night when I arrived, I addressed the delegates about life as Miss Black USA and answered questions concerning my experiences. After that, we headed to Sue’s house (Sue is the director of the Miss Black Kansas and Miss Black Missouri USA Pageants) to have a birthday party for Miss Black Michigan (she turned 21 Sunday). Happy Birthday, Kyona!! :) We had a ball playing games, sharing funny stories, and eating snacks and cake.

We participated in a radio show hosted, produced, and created by high school children Saturday morning called “Generation Rap” on 103.3FM at 8-9am. It was very interesting. The topic was beauty and the perception of people in the world of pageantry. At first, the young radio show team had an overall negative view of pageants and women who compete in them, but by the end of the hour, we were able to address many issues and concerns the teens had expressed. This lead them to have a better understanding of the purpose and benefit of competing in pageants, and they seemingly were more readily able to accept the idea of pageants as positive entities. I was so impressed by the young people we interacted with while broadcasting “Generation Rap”. They asked thought provoking questions and were very brave in expressing their opinions. After that, we had a photo shoot at Artis Studio. It was fun and went very well. Everybody looked so lovely in their pictures! From there, we went to an autograph signing event at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Lunch at Harper’s Restaurant followed the autograph signing. The last event of the night was a banquet honoring the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The speakers at this event were phenomenal! One particular thing I heard stuck out to me: “the people who will steal your dreams are not your enemies; they are people who you call friends, and they can often times live under your same roof!” Those are words to take heed to. Live your dreams! Do not allow yourself to be discouraged by dream stealers!

So, right now I’m sitting on a plane headed to Atlanta from Kansas City and attempting to learn to play poker for a charity poker tournament in which I’m scheduled to participate in Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s not going so well. I thought I would learn pretty quickly because it is, afterall, just a card game. I was wrong. In fact, I think I officially stink at playing poker. :( I need help!!

Atlanta, GA Promotional Weekend

2008-01-22T01:28:00.000-08:00

During the weekend of January 11-13, I visited Atlanta to attend festivities surrounding the Miss Black Georgia USA Scholarship Pageant, a photo shoot with Jerris Madison, and the 2008 Trumpet Awards. When I arrived Friday night, I attended a dessert reception and was able to meet all the contestants in the Miss Black Georgia USA Scholarship pageant. The desserts were absolutely delicious! I fell in love with the oatmeal pecan cookies and ended up taking 6 or 7 back to the hotel with me. Apparently, I am not strong enough to completely abstain from eating sweets. :( Therefore, I must revise that particular goal for this year to allow for a few sweet indulgences occasionally. Yes, that will fix things…. :)

The Miss Black Georgia USA Scholarship Pageant held on Saturday, January 12 was awesome! Congratulations, Kristen White, Miss Black Georgia USA 2008! You looked absolutely gorgeous, and it was truly a pleasure to meet you and spend a little time getting to know you. I know you will do wonderful things for the community and represent the Miss Black USA Scholarship Pageant very well.

On Sunday, January 13, 2008 I was honored and delighted to have the opportunity to attend the Trumpet Awards in Atlanta, GA. The 2008 Honoree is Halle Berry. I had a wonderful time. The winner of the Miss Black Georgia 2008 pageant as well as Miss Georgia Teen attended the event. We were a royal trio strutting around taking pictures with anybody who would allow us to. :) It was my very first experience walking the red carpet. That was quite an experience. I was a little confused at first, but after awhile I caught on to the protocol. Obviously, when I am on the red carpet, photographers and reporters don’t care as much as when a star or celebrity walks, but everybody I met was nice. I learned very quickly to stay out of the way when the “important people” were coming. ;) That’s it for now….

God Bless You,
Kalilah

Happy New Year! :)

2008-01-06T03:46:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!

Wow, I can’t believe that 2007 is finally over, and we all can have a chance to make things right in 2008. Although 2007 was tough at times, I am thankful for all the experiences that came my way. Overall, it was a magnificent year, and I learned more about life and love (although I wasn’t in love) than ever before! I am truly excited to experience all that will unfold in 2008. I have decided to be less afraid of saying “no” to people this year. I think the newfound freedom that I will gain from this will be of great benefit.

On Friday, January 4, I went to 102.3 KJLH Radio Free (Stevie Wonder’s Radio Station) in LA and was able to speak a little about the Miss Black USA organization on-air. I even got to perform as the “Jock in a Box” (guest DJ) for the Guy Black Morning Show. I had sooooooo much fun!! I might need to switch my career ambition to becoming a DJ…somebody pass the turn tables!! :) I’d probably get in trouble as a DJ, though, because I would only play the songs I like to listen to. Anyway, the highlight of my visit to the station was being able to speak with “THE” Stevie Wonder over the phone! I was so terribly excited to speak with such a talented, musical genius that I really couldn’t come up with much to talk to him about, so I’m not sure if I made much of an impression on him. If not, at least he was glad to have me at his radio station for that short period of time. ;)

My first reading material of the new year is going to be The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier next week. If Oprah says the book is great, it must be true. LOL. On February 1, 2008, I will begin learning French. I’d love to have suggestions regarding the kinds of software and text books that are most helpful! I’ve got lots more to say this year, including a few “no’s” along the way. :)

St. Maarten/St. Martin

2007-12-03T09:31:00.000-08:00

Siiiiiiiiiigh!! Sadly, I’m making my way back to the west side of the USA. I say “sadly” because the island of St. Maarten/St. Martin is the most gorgeous land I’ve ever stepped foot upon. WOW! It is a real life paradise. I didn’t know such natural beauty existed in the world. The water is clear and clean, the shoreline is immaculate. I could hear the sound that results from the combination of waves crashing and a gentle breeze blowing when my window was open. It is so peaceful and warm…the perfect mixture of sunshine and intoxicating air. Need I say more? It’s official: I must one day own a villa on the beach. :)

I also had the opportunity to learn a little French while spending time in St. Martin. People asked many interesting questions, and I was even able to communicate with most French speaking people I met at least a little. I’m so proud of myself! Maybe if I were dropped off there for about a month or so, I could actually learn the language. Hint, hint…anybody who’d like me to learn French is more than welcome to send me back. ;) One of these days, I’m going to write a blog in French!

Last night I attended the Miss Caribbean Hibiscus (or Miss Caraïbes Hibiscus if you speak French) Pageant, and it was an amazing production! The program flowed seamlessly, without error. It was truly the best pageant production I have ever had the pleasure to experience. This pageant was interesting because it is an international pageant, so the contestants had the task of representing their countries with a traditional costume. There was also an evening gown and swimwear competition. The young ladies are all absolutely gorgeous, but unfortunately only one could be crowned. The new Miss Caribbean Hibiscus is Miss Caraçao! Congratulations!

I have had many wonderful adventures as Miss Black USA, but this trip has certainly been one of the highlights of my reign. :)

My Trip to New York City (Written Nov. 28)

2007-11-30T20:13:00.001-08:00

Hola!

Right now I’m sitting idly on a plane heading back to Los Angeles from New York. Such a long plane ride: 6 hours! Anyway, this long trek across the country isn’t going to overshadow the wonderful time I had in New York. :) Today, I taped two interviews focusing on the country’s fight against diabetes. The first interview I taped was at the JDRF Headquarters and will air on the CBS New York Early Show on Dec. 2. The second interview was for a special on Good Morning America Now entitled, “The Fight Against Diabetes” and will air on the ABC News Now network on Friday morning at 9am EST. For those who can't watch, it will also be available on the web at http://abcnews.go.com/abcnewsnow/gmanow. I am on all the video segments under the "Dealing with Diabetes" heading except the "Complications with Diabetes" segment. These will be my very first major television appearances, and I’m excited!

While in New York at the JDRF National Headquarters, I also taped the “Bag of Hope” video that will be distributed to children diagnosed with type I diabetes next year. I hope my message can serve as an inspiration and as encouragement to young people affected by diabetes. I wish I could have received more positive messages about diabetes when I was first diagnosed because being diagnosed with diabetes makes for a difficult time in a young person’s life. Hopefully, this message will be the encouragement that at least one young person needs to feel “normal” and to gain resolve in such an emotionally strenuous time.

Mañana, I’m off to St. Maarten/St. Martin to judge the Miss Caribbean Hibiscus pageant. I’m excited about that too! I’ve never been to an island before. Once I re-pack my suitcase I’m going to meet the sandman. Hope to have sweet dreams, and I hope you do too! :) God loves you (He REALLY does)!!

-Miss Black USA

My Trip to New York City

2007-11-30T20:13:00.000-08:00

Hola!

Right now I’m sitting idly on a plane heading back to Los Angeles from New York. Such a long plane ride: 6 hours! Anyway, this long trek across the country isn’t going to overshadow the wonderful time I had in New York. :) Today, I taped two interviews focusing on the country’s fight against diabetes. The first interview I taped was at the JDRF Headquarters and will air on the CBS Early Show on Dec. 2. The second interview was for a special on Good Morning America Now entitled, “The Fight Against Diabetes” and will air on ABC on Friday morning at 9am EST. These will be my very first major television appearances, and I’m excited!

While in New York at the JDRF National Headquarters, I also taped the “Bag of Hope” video that will be distributed to children diagnosed with type I diabetes next year. I hope my message can serve as an inspiration and encouragement to young people affected by diabetes. I wish I could have received more positive messages about diabetes when I was first diagnosed because being diagnosed with diabetes makes for a difficult time in a young person’s life. Hopefully, this message will be the encouragement that at least one young person needs to feel “normal” and to gain resolve in such an emotionally strenuous time.

Mañana, I’m off to St. Martin to judge the Miss Caribbean Hibiscus pageant. I’m excited about that too! I’ve never been to an island before. Once I re-pack my suitcase I’m going to meet the sandman. Hope to have sweet dreams, and I hope you do too! :) God loves you (He REALLY does)!!

-Miss Black USA

My Story In Honor Of National Diabetes Awareness Month

2007-11-29T16:53:00.001-08:00

I was 14 years old, and it was February 10, 1999 (funny how you remember dates that change your life). Less than a week earlier, I had been almost 20 pounds heavier and living a “normal” life like any other teenager. Four days earlier, I had suddenly begun to suffer from many symptoms that were previously unfamiliar to me such as frequent urination, fatigue, extreme thirst and hunger, and weight loss. I was active and in great shape from dancing and cheerleading at least 6 hours a day at least 5 days a week. I had no clue what was happening to me. On the day that I woke up and was physically unable to get out of bed without assistance to prepare for school, I told my mother that there was a huge problem. She took me to a physician who then suggested that we go to the Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, AL. On that day I was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes. My life changed forever. Surprisingly, the change was overwhelmingly positive, although not immediate.

Did you know: Halle Berry has diabetes? When I was diagnosed, that piece of information made a HUGE difference in the way I viewed my future and my life. I had always admired her for her talent and beauty, so she served as a role model to me and millions of other young girls in the world. Knowing that she suffered from the disease made me feel more comfortable and accepting of diabetes. Seeing people who are admired and accomplished who also suffer from the disease makes children feel that diabetes is more acceptable to have and helps them to know that success and a “normal” life are still possible.

Fast forward 8.5 years: Although I am not a “celebrity”, I have been named a celebrity advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). This month to help celebrate National Diabetes Awareness Month, I will travel to reach people in an effort to increase awareness of this disease. This is such a great honor. I never would have thought that I would have the opportunity to reach out to people to spread the message and mission of JDRF. I can’t express how inspired I am by JDRF and its incredible push to provide research for the purpose of finding a cure for Type I Diabetes! I’m very hopeful and confident that one day, this goal will be reached and we will all be able to imagine and return to a life without diabetes. :)

Some Things For Which I'm Thankful

2007-11-21T21:07:00.000-08:00

In honor of Thanksgiving Day, I have decided to list the things I’m thankful for (in no particular order EXCEPT for God because He’ll ALWAYS be FIRST in my life):

GOD
Family
Good friends
Kindness of strangers
Generosity
Bright colors
Most fruits
Football
Cell phones (most times)
People who helped me move out (and who will also help me move in)
The ability to learn
Good music
Good health
Good food
Confidence
Sutures
Books
Forgiveness
Internet
Cameras
Experience
Oprah
Mentors
"America’s Next Top Model" nights of bonding/cooking with my friends
People who understand me
Independence
The ability to dream BIG
Rest
Peace
Free time
Juice
Private jokes
Babies
Laughing loudly
Kitties
Squirrels
Dreams
Stars
Parks
Beautiful landscapes

Diez y Ocho de Noviembre :)

2007-11-18T23:02:00.001-08:00

Alsamadeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!!

I found a new love over the weekend!! I tasted Bolthouse Farm's "Green Goodness" for the first time, and it was absolutely fantastic! It made me feel better and smarter (I have no scientific proof of that). :) I finished a whole bottle in one study session.

Yesterday, I studied a little and worked out for the first time in a long time, a lot longer than I'd like to admit. ;) I'm on my way back to being fit, though! I also went to see a movie last night, during which I fell asleep. I didn't find it to be very entertaining, but the critics seem to like it. They say it'll be an "instant classic." I'm thoroughly confused about that particular critic's choice of words. Maybe I accidentally saw the wrong movie? Anyway, I'm still enjoying my time in sunny California. I sure would love to take this weather with me wherever I travel!

At 6am tomorrow I have a telephone interview with a Tennessee radio station.... I don't know how chipper and alert I'll be by then, but we'll see how it goes. :)

Happy Sunday! Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and boy, am I thankful for that holiday!! Next challenge: preparing the perfect gumbo (and surviving prolonged family time). :)

God Bless,
Miss Black USA

November 13

2007-11-18T22:59:00.000-08:00

Hey! :) I'm so glad to finally be able to communicate with you as you view the newly launched Miss Black USA website! I've got lots of exciting experiences to share with you.... :)

Last weekend I attended the Miss Black North Carolina USA Scholarship Pageant as a special guest and performed my talent. The competition was intense and pretty amazing. All the young women were extraordinarily beautiful and talented.

Congratulations, Audrey, Miss Black North Carolina USA 2008!!

In addition, I've been moving out of my apartment...eeeeeeek! These last few weeks have been trying. I've been traveling a lot and moving all at the same time, but I did it with the help of some of my beloved, caring friends. :) I owe them a housewarming party with lots of goodies. While I'm out of town, I’m going to learn how to make carrot cake from scratch with the help of a recipe that a former classmate (and Soror) of mine shared with me. I hope to have it perfected by the time that I return…I can’t wait!

I learned a lot from this moving experience. The most important thing I learned is that this is the very last time I will attempt to move without professional movers. Clearly, there’s a reason people start moving businesses. Moving is not fun, and nobody likes to do it, so I'm sure movers make lots of money! Although I faced a lot of difficulty during this arduous task, it’s finally done. Hoorayyyyyyy!

As advised by my mentor, I’m working on assembling a list of my life goals and preparing them in paragraph form. This method will allow me to include how I plan to reach these goals. It’s a thought provoking exercise. If you’ve never done it before, I would suggest doing so. I’ve already been enlightened by merely listing and planning for just a few goals.

Wow, I’ve got soooooo much to say. I have to catch you up on my experiences as Miss Black USA. For now, though, I’m on my way to having some much needed fun in the sun. ;) God loves you!

Miss Black USA