Laila Ali, Meagan Good, and Dawnn Lewis Join Annual Little Miss African American Scholarship Pageant
Los Angeles – The Little Miss African American Scholarship Pageant (LMAA) comes of age this year with its 21-year anniversary celebration on August 10, 2014 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. Actresses Laila Ali and Meagan Good will co-host, joining Dawnn Lewis, the mistress of ceremonies, as a bevy of little beauties, ages six to 12, make their way on stage to compete for over $10,000 in scholarships and prizes. Pageant producer Lisa Ruffin notes that this year’s event will also celebrate past contestants who have grown up and gone on to accomplish wonderful feats!
Judges this year include Penny Johnson Jerald (ABC-TV’s “Castle); Ella Joyce (TV One’s Belle’s); Lamman Rucker (TBS’s “Meet the Browns”); Shamicka Lawrence (VH-1’s “Hollywood Exes”) and TV/radio host Mother Love, to name just a few. The pageant starts at 4:00 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online at www.littlemissafricanamerican.org as well as at the door. VIP and reserved seating is available.
As the longest running pageant of its kind, the Little Miss African American Scholarship Pageant continues to extend its history of dedication to a legacy of nurturing young girls into proud and intelligent young women. The original creation of actress/ choreographer Lisa Ruffin, the Little Miss African American Scholarship pageant has consistently emphasized brains over beauty, positively impacting the lives of thousands of impressionable young women.
Cites Ruffin, “These young ladies just keep me going strong. This year, as we turn 21, we honor them all, past and present. Alycia Jones was the very first LMAA and received her bachelor’s degree from University of Florida. Our second, Alexis Witherspoon competed in the Olympics Trials, then graduated from USC. LaTanya Fisher was LMAA 1995 and she graduated from USC as well. Myisha Lyseight was LMAA 1996. She earned her B.S. in Psychology from UCLA. She went on to complete her Masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology at Syracuse University in New York. She also played it forward by joining the LMAA staff last year.”
“The state of Texas produced LMAA 1998, Lauren Hayes. Lauren graduated from the very prestigious Notre Dame and is currently working there. Then there is Miss Shakina that Academy Award winner Mo’Nique crowned,” continues Ruffin. “She graduated from USC and is in Law School at Howard University. We train our girls to wear their C.A.P. (Confidence, Awarness & Pride)!”
For more information and to purchase tickets go to littlemissafricanamerican.org.