2 ★ - * ★ biJbiJi. -■-.—^ 2 ★ lb4Ma.fi. THE CHARLOTTE POST LharUrttr •* FaMH Lnminjg (iommunih Ucrkh" ___Thursday, September 6, 1984 - THE CHARLOTTE POST - Page IB Six Black Women Will Try For “Miss America” Title On September 15, Black Americans can watch with pride the greatest number of black candidates vying for the Miss America title in the history of the - pageant.-The show-wiil -be— telecast on NBC at 10 p.m., * EDT. Suzette Charles, the reigning Miss America, may bring her crown to Maryline Blackburn, Miss Alaska; Desiree Keating, Miss District of Columbia; Ruth Booker, Miss Illinois; Anita Whitaker, Miss Loui siana; Lauren Green, Miss Minnesota; or Renee Bag Te y , Miss Oregon. ' The young women have many common traits - beauty, talent and am bition - but each brings to the pageant her own unique personality and background. After all, before a young woman becomes a “Miss” she attends school, is some one’s daughter and works at a summer job. -Meres-a look at these special contestants: Maryllne Blackburn, Miss Alaska, was born in Frankfurt, Germany. Her father is a career soldier and she lived in 10 dif ferent states while her dad was in the service. Her father "aBo received" sol award for outstanding ser vice during the Vietnam War. A graduate of Ever green State College, Maryline has studied piano for 13 years and has more than a nodding acquain tance with dance, voice, clarinet drum lesson over the years. She will be singing in the Miss Ame rica Pageant and has per formed with Chuck Berry, Chris Calloway and Sister Sledge. Maryllne hopes to become a buyer for a de partment store after study ing with a couture house in France. Desiree Keating is the first Miss District of Co lumbia in 20 years. She is a student at George Wash ington University majoring in Dance Therapy. Desiree ‘•MIm Oregon" Renee Bagley “Miss Louisiana” .Anita Whitaker “Miss Illinois" ....Ruth Booker “Miss America” .Suzette Charles "MU« District of Columbia" .Dentree Keating "Miss Minnesota” .Lauren Green “Miss Alaska” .Maryllne Blackburn years and will perform a modern dance routine in the Miss America Pageant. She also studied piano and participated in the AFTRA Children’s Televi sion Project and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. She wants to perform as a dancer and eventually use dance therapy as a way to help others, particu larly children. Beautiful Ruth Booker. Miss Illinois, is one of 19 children and a self-taught singer. Ruth is a junior at DePaul University in Chicago, majoring in ac counting. She has served as an accounting intern for Time-Life, toe., and been .involved with Inroads, Tfttf., An internship of • f > ^ w- * „ , ganization for minority students in business and engineering. Ruth also served as honorary co chairman of the Sickle Cell Anemia Bike-A-Thon. Anita Whitaker, Miss Louisiana, is a 34 year old registered nurse, who has already cut her first gospel album. jn 1962 Anita was selected as one of the ‘'Outstanding Young women in America.” Among her hcfcbies are songwriting, cross stitch ing and playing the piano and violin. Her profes sional singing experience includes two years of per forming with the Las Vegas Sahara Showcase. Anita is a graduate of Northeast LtmtstairaUnlrg ratty it':* r £ ZiWfe * *- (X; */ • t < % where she was a Dean's List student. Tall (5’10”) Lauren Green is the first black Miss Minnesota. A grad uate of the University of Minnesota where she ma jored in Piano Perfor mance, music has always been a big part of her life. She received an academic scholarship to college based on her piano talent, and studied with the late Fred Waring and Carnegie Hall pianist Bernhard Weiser. Lauren currently works for the Human Re sources Department at Twin City Federal. One of five children, Lauren indi cates her family has a number of diverse inter ests and includes must ’ * Li cians, artists and politi cians. She hopes to pursue classical theatre training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. Renee Bagley, Miss Ore gon, lives—on—13 of—-the— original 40 acres her grand father bought in 1939. Majoring in health and physical education at Portland State University, Renee has long been in volved in sports. She is an ice skater of merit, and was ranked as one of the top three skaters in the Northwest Figure Skating Championships for four years She is also quite" proud of her brother who as a collegiate wrestler won the Big Sky Conference wrestling championship four years in a row. Renee will sing in the Miss America Pageant and hopes eventually to start her own business, with an emphasis on health for all.~ her employees. What does it mean to be a part of the Pageant? Ruth Booker says of her new responsibility, “It's important for all young women to have role models. It’s a role that I do not mind playing-all of us need to look up to someone who inspires us to greater heights, and I hope by my "SccbmplisTimenls other young women will realize that they, too, can work to achieve their dreams " (