Miss Black Tennessee USA 2013 Megan Piphus
Seven outstanding young women graced the University Center Auditorium stage on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, on Saturday for the 2013 Miss Black Tennessee USA Pageant. Contestants were:
Megan Piphus “Miss Black Capital City USA 2013”
Kayla Moore “Miss Black Davidson County USA 2013”
Gabrielle Lewis “Miss Black Memphis USA 2013”
Porshal Reid “Miss Black Metropolitan USA 2013”
Katara Grissom “Miss Black Music City USA 2013”
Ariel Smith “Miss Black Nashville USA 2013”
Montrice Hampton “Miss Black Shelby County USA 2013”
The Pageant was hosted by Sam Terry of Glory 1260 AM’s “WNOO” and LaTrice Currie-Tucker of WRCB Channel 3. This winning combination of talent and years of expertise in the field of Media kept the audience on their feet and entertained. Special Guest and Judge for the evening was R&B artist and radio host Winston Warrior.
Five outstanding women were honored on this evening for all of their hard work and dedication to their respective communities:
Iyonia Boyce “Honorary Miss Black Tennessee Pre-Teen USA”
Nicole Brown “Sarah J. Woodson-Early Award”
Faith Edwards “Ida B. Wells Award”
Carolyn Jones “Madame C.J. Walker Award”
Angel Ulmer “Carolyn R. Patton Award”
Dr. Elenora Woods “Harriet Tubman Award”
The young ladies competed in the areas of Interview, Fitness, Talent, Evening Gown, and On Stage Question and Answer.
The night was brought to a close with the official farewell to Miss Black Tennessee USA 2012, Natalie Newbill.
Special Awards for the evening went to all three representatives from UTC:
Ariel Smith “Miss Black Nashville USA 2013”- Marketing Star Award
(The Marketing Star award was presented to the contestant who marketed, promoted, and sold the most of her Lip Palette Collection.)
Kayla Moore “Miss Black Davidson County USA 2013”-Shinning Star Award
(The Shining Star Award was presented to the contestant who sold the most Ads, consistent in all aspects, and had been a true advocate for the 2013 Pageant.)
Montrice Hampton “Miss Black Shelby Country USA 2013”-People’s Choice
(The People’s Choice “Heart of Tennessee” Award was presented to the contestant that received the highest number of votes during the online “People’s Choice” voting campaign)
The top four contestants of the evening were:
Ariel Smith “Miss Black Nashville USA 2013”
Porshla Reid “Miss Black Metropolitan USA 2013”
Katara Grissom “Miss Black Music City USA 2013”
The NEW Miss Black Tennessee USA 2013 is Megan Olivia Piphus (Miss Black Capital City USA 2013).
Megan Piphus with a rare and unique talent as a Ventriloquist has served her community by performing, singing, and playing at various community functions and around the country.
In 2008 Megan was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show: The World’s Smartest and Most Talented Kids. Megan graduated valedictorian of her class at Princeton High School in 2010. Her graduation speech featuring her and her puppet, George, became a hit on YouTube soon after its release.
Currently a junior at Vanderbilt University, she is no stranger to hard work and has persevered as an outstanding scholar. Megan was part of the Vanderbilt Policy Debate Squad. As a sophomore, Megan worked as a reporter for Vanderbilt Television and had the opportunity to work as a field reporter for ESPNU. In 2011, after submitting a video showcasing her talent in musical ventriloquism, Megan was chosen to be a contestant on America’s Got Talent YouTube Contest and as a result gained national exposure. A leader, Megan sits on the executive boards for the Black Student Alliance the National Black MBA Association, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council. This past summer, Megan interned for NBCUniversal with the Spanish broadcasting network Telemundo in New York City.
“All seven of the queens this year represented the state to perfection. They each shined bright in their own way. Megan Piphus is an inspiration to all with her testimony and talent. Having her as apart of the 25th Anniversary legacy and lineage of the Miss Black USA Pageant and Miss Black Tennessee USA Pageant is heaven sent. She will serve the state of Tennessee tremendously and will most definitely have the support of #TeamTennessee behind her” said Lorean Mays, executive director.
“I am so thankful and appreciative to everyone across the state and my hometown Chattanooga who have been supportive throughout this past year and shown all of the young ladies nothing but love. I also thank Ms. Karen Arrington CEO/founder of the Miss Black USA Pageant for this wonderful opportunity to serve as the State Executive Director and insuring the legacy of not only the national pageant continues but the great state of Tennessee” said Ms. Mays.
The 2013 local queens will continue to promote their platforms and serve the community in the upcoming year.
Follow us on: Facebook: Miss Black Tennessee USA/Miss Black Tennessee Talented Teen USA, or Twitter: @MissBlackTN
For more information on the Miss Black Tennessee USA Pageant, visit http://www.missblacktennesseeusa.org or email Lorean.Mays@missblackusa.org