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D.C. woman crowned Miss Black Deaf America By PAULA THOMAS AccessLife Newswire (Posted August 18, 2000.) Tension was high; nerves were raw; and it was anything but the expected quiet backstage at the Miss Black Deaf America Pageant during the 18th annual National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA) conference in Houston. The pageant followed days of hectic activity that included practice, honing routines and even sightseeing, but for 19-year-old Latoya Plummer, representing the District of Columbia, it was a night made for a young woman's dreams. Plummer was crowned Miss Black Deaf America-2000. Although not the original chapter entrant, Plummer joined the contest with only a week's notice and won the title to be embraced enthusiastically by the membership. Among the prizes awarded by the pageant, Plummer will receive a scholarship she plans to use in pursuit of a degree in law and politics. She enters college in the fall.
Positive role model
Plummer sees herself as a role model for African-American deaf youth. She promises to use her reign to positively appeal to them. One of most famous role models for young deaf people was Heather Whitestone, crowned Miss America in Atlantic City in 1994. The Birmingham, Ala. native was born deaf. "Strive for your dream -- take advantage of the opportunities awaiting you," Plummer said. Nine contestants, representing 29 local chapters of the NBDA were judged on casual and formal wear, talent and on-stage interviews. After participating in a choreographed opening dance celebrating African-American culture, each contestant competed in the individual talent round. Stage interview questions centered on the future of NBDA and the leadership roles of African-American women. Signers from Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf were available to translate for the hearing audience. Longtime pageant coordinator Jamar Higgins noted that all the competitors are active in public service in their home towns. "They are committed to helping people in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community and have the courage to show what makes a unique lady succeed Longtime pageant coordinator Jamar Higgins noted that all the competitors are active in public service in their home towns. "They are committed to helping people in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community and have the courage to show what makes a unique lady succeed in life," Higgins said. Outgoing NBDA President Al Couthen called the pageant one of the highlights of the National Black Deaf conference. "Every contestant is a winner and I wish them the best of luck with their competition," Couthen said. He specifically thanked Mary Perrodin, the 1998-1999 Miss Black Deaf America, for her outreach work in publicizing the efforts of the organization and the needs of deaf Americans in the past year. Perrodin's reign was "successful and good for the entire organization," Couthen said. The Houston conference wasn't the only gathering to honor successful African-American deaf women. The National Association for the Deaf recently crowned Lauren Teruel, also a African-American woman, as Miss Deaf America 2000-2002 during their convention in Norfolk, Va. Paula Thomas is a freelance writer for AccessLife.com in Abilene, Texas. You can reach her at Thomaspaulat@aol.com. |
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