Miss Black Colorado International 2010 : Laurie
Pierce - The pageant has become an institution in the African American
community affording young women with a national stage to display their
talent, beauty, and intellect and win scholarship opportunities. In
2007, over eighty percent of the delegates were pursuing graduate or
professional degrees.The winner that year was a first-year medical student at Meharry Medical College. The pageant prides itself on celebrating the achievements of young African American women who are often not showcased in the mainstream media.
The reigning Miss Black USA 2009 is Shayna Rudd (Pennsylvania). The first holder of the title was Tamiko Gibson, Miss Black USA 1987, representing Maryland. Other former titleholders include Kristen White (Georgia), Kalilah Allen-Harris (Tennessee), Celi Marie Dean (Minnesota), Lisa Marie Miree (Ohio), Caroline Mack (South Carolina), Dawn Moss (Maryland), Sheila Rugege-Dantzler (Louisiana), Deya Smith (Connecticut), Ebony Warren (Florida), Clarissa Lester-Kent (South Carolina) and Elizabeth Waddell (Michigan).