PROFESSION:
HU STUDENT BECOMES FIRST BLACK MISS VIRGINIA
Hampton, VA - Hampton University student Nita Booth has inherited the Miss Virginia title as the recently-crowned Miss Virginia Nicole Johnson was named Miss America.
Booth, a 19-year-old junior who finished first runner-up in the Miss Virginia Pageant, becomes the first African-American Miss Virginia. She assumes her duties immediately, but will not be officially crowned until mid-October.
"I was definitely pleased with my performance," Booth said of her performance at the Miss Virginia Pageant. "There was nothing I could have done better. I knew I deserved it (to finish as first runner-up). I had very high expectations of myself.
"And now I'm just thrilled to be Miss Virginia. I'm so excited about the opportunity."
Booth, a native of Chesapeake, Va., receives a $13,000 scholarship, an apartment and a car for the duration of her reign. A mass media major at Hampton University, Booth is currently pursuing a career in broadcasting. She also has plans to attend graduate school, possibly majoring in a computer-related field. Booth has worked as a deejay for Norfolk, Va., radio station WOWI-FM's (102.9) Joy in the Morning Sunday gospel show and has worked with HU's own WHOV-FM. She would like a career in television broadcasting, working as an anchor after school but also has dreams of owning her own radio station.
Since being named Miss Tidewater in January 1998, Booth has traveled through Hampton Roads speaking publicly at elementary and middle schools, civic organization meetings and retirement and nursing homes to hone her skills and spread the message of her platform, " One Voice for the Arts." Her platform, one in which she has been involved for three years, is three-fold that includes excellence in arts education, public support and positive legislation.
"This is an old passion," Booth said of her love for the fine and performing arts and her platform. "I speak about how young people involved in the arts do better in school and how involvement in the arts can help them become more creative."
Booth has also worked extensively with the Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission and through her efforts with the Commission, recently traveled to Richmond to speak with state legislators about supporting the arts in Virginia. The group encouraged the Commonwealth of Virginia to budget an additional $1.5 million for the arts.
Booth's love for the arts was also displayed in her work on the Mickey Mouse Club for four years. She also toured through Europe and the United States on a promotion tour with a singing group derived from the Mickey Mouse Club that produced an album.
Becoming Miss Virginia is a dream realized for Booth. She has been competing in pageants since she was 7 years old and has competed in the Miss Virginia Pageant system for two years. This year, she competed in the pageant as Miss Tidewater . She first competed in the Miss Virginia pageant two years ago and finished as third runner-up.
"A lot of people see the pageants as a beauty contest," Booth said. "But they're much more than that. They're not based on beauty but on talent and intelligence. The pageants do a lot for promoting young women of the '90s. They help to develop young ladies."
For additional information, please contact the Office of University Relations at 757-727-5253.
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Posted By: Joah King
Wednesday, November 2nd 2005 at 4:52AM
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