JACKSON, Miss. - June 6, 2016 - PRLog -- Arekia Bennett, a 23-year-old native of Jackson, smashes the stereotype of the traditional beauty pageant queen. The 2015 graduate of Jackson State University holds a B.S. Degree in Physics and is now a current Master of Public Administration scholar at Belhaven College. After receiving her MPA, she plans to pursue a Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree from Howard University School of Law in hopes to conquer her career goals of becoming a Human/Civil Rights Attorney and ultimately becoming the Governor of Mississippi.
During Bennett's matriculation at Jackson State University, she founded GIRL (Gathering Information Related to Ladies). Her vision for this organization was to create a space for advocacy, to counter problematic university policy (and change it), and for African American women to learn about African American Women's History as well as use GIRL as a support group to unpack and help heal one another through storytelling. Currently, Bennett is a Community/Youth Organizer for the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition, a volunteer lobbyist at Planned Parenthood Southeast and a member of the Coalition for Economic Justice. Her overall goal is to educate and empower young people to not only learn about politics but to be a part of the political process.
Through her pageant platform, "The Undoing", Bennett is able to do just that on a bigger stage! The Undoing is a series of honest conversations by young African Americans to purposely build social, cultural, economic and political power. The goals are:
To unlearn racial stereotypes
To unpack identity politics
To undo heteropatriarchy
The platform aims to co-create cohesive cultural consciousness & understand solidarity, collectively engage in political education for empowerment, and build economic structures that are just, regenerative and restorative. Bennett believes that these conversations will guarantee leadership development and establish a black young people led economic machine that nourishes and sustains innovative, creative and new economic engines to build and sustain communities.
Bennett replaces Crystal James who originally won the title and voluntarily resigned. Bennett will represent the state of Mississippi in the 2016 Miss Black USA Pageant on August 7, 2016 in Washington, D.C. for the chance to win a $20,000 prize package including a $5,000 academic scholarship.
Miss Black Mississippi is a trademark of Miss Black USA, Inc., the premier pageant for women of color, ages 17 to 27 years, and the official preliminary to Miss Black USA. Miss Black USA, Inc. has awarded over $300,000 in scholarships to date. To learn more about Arekia Bennett, Miss Black Mississippi Pageant, or Miss Black USA, visit www.missblackusa.org.
Contact
Renee Stallworth
***@missblackusa.org
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