The Black Student Cultural Programming Board held their 39th annual, Blackburn Spencer Pageant to raise money for the scholarship and a night of fun
The sounds of smooth jazz filled the Baker Center Ballroom as students, faculty and alumni filed in dressed in elegant garb came to celebrate 39 years of black excellence at Ohio University.
The Black Student Cultural Programming Board held its 39th annual Blackburn Spencer Scholarship Pageant to raise money for the scholarship and celebrate student achievement and success at OU.
More than 200 people attended the pageant for a night of food and fun. This year’s theme was titled, “A Trilogy of The Stars” as contestants and performers from, F.A.C.E.S Modeling, Athens Black Contemporary Dancers danced to embrace the themes of nollywood, bollywood and Hollywood through their performances.
Students apply to be in the pageant in August. When picked, multicultural organizations choose to sponsor a student and raise money as a competition up to the pageant. Winners are picked through the amount of money raised, but also through personal interviews and from positive attitude.
Timon Adams, a senior studying music production and a member of BSCPB said as a general body member of the organization, he was happy to see how the event finally turned out and his favorite performance was one of the contestants group numbers.
The scholarship was created to honor Donald Spencer, OU’s first African-American board of trustees member, and the first African-American female graduate of OU Martha Jane Hunley Blackburn.
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Since then, BSCPB have been raising money through multiple events, such as the pageant for scholarship. All of the proceeds from the event are given toward the scholarship to help African-American students.
Jeffrey Billingslea, president of the BSCPB said he was happy to see how the event turned out, especially with all the success from the pageant’s contestants.
“All their hardwork really paid off and I was very excited to see that they really brought it today, that it was their thing and that they made (the pageant) come to life,” Billingslea, a junior studying political science said. “Everything came together remarkably and I couldn’t be happier.”
Benita Bennett Williams, an alumna of OU and second-runner up of the pageant in 1987, said she was thrilled to see all the changes from when she did the pageant and how all the contestants performed.
“When I participated in the pageant, it was different in the 1980s than what it is now,” Bennett Williams said. “But I was impressed to see all of the ladies and men give so much of their time to the cause and I enjoyed watching all of them flourish all the way to the end … it was nice to see the finished product.”
CreShaun Cole, the male winner of this year’s pageant said throughout his experience, he learned fundraising was a great bonding experience with others.
“I learned how fun fundraising could actually be,” Cole, a sophomore studying psychology, said. “Usually people aren’t excited about fundraising, but I had fun and met a ton of new people and got close to my contestants, which made the experience more enjoyable.”
Angel Thornton, the female pageant winner said she is grateful of all of the success and hopes that this money impacts a student.
“I’m just excited to know that somebody else is getting this money,” Thornton said. “I’m just grateful to have given my time and energy so hopefully another African-American student is given a chance to succeed and achieve and build onto the everlasting excellence of traditions in the black community here at OU.”
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