The Alpha Theta chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha found its “Mr. Gatsby” Wednesday night when Richard Jackson was crowned Mr. AKA for the 2015-2016 school year in the T.H. Harris auditorium.
Courtesy photo
Newly crowned Mr. AKA Richard Jackson (center) is flanked by Mr. Pink Corey Carroll (left) and Mr. Green
Quincy Wheaton. The pageant had a “Gatsby” theme.
The pageant, hosted by Joiya Smith and Jonathan Wallace, began with an opening act done by the contestants and the members of AKA. The ladies wore black dresses, and the contestants sported white shirts and ties while wearing masks. The men were then unmasked and given an opportunity to introduce themselves to the audience and panel of judges.
The contestants then modeled their “Gatsby wear.” The men’s attire ranged from newsboy hats, vests, to blazers.
Next was a performance by Joi’Lavia Porter, who danced to a mixture of songs alongside Jaquarius Drew.
Next the contestants displayed their swimwear. They kept it cool while wearing life vests, cargo shorts and hats.
After the swimwear Kira Wilson wowed the crowd with a performance of “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston.
Next the contestants displayed their talent. The talents included dances, monologues, and poetry performances that roused the crowd.
Participants then modeled their formal wear attire. The men wore an array of distinguished suits, while also saying their platform.
Then, it was time for the question and answer session. The contestants were asked a variety of questions from personal to school related.
It was finally time for the results. The crowd voted Corey Carroll for the People’s Choice award.
“The pageant was a great experience,” said Carroll, a senior from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who was also crowned Mr. Pink.
Quincy Wheaton a senior Mass Communication major from Houston, Texas, won the title of Mr. Green.
The winner of the title Mr. AKA was bestrode on Richard Jackson.
“This was a great experience, I had so much fun” said Jackson, a junior from Jonesboro, Louisiana. “My favorite part would have to be my talent portion because I had the opportunity to express how I felt about Black lives and how they matter.”
Jackson says with his new title he plans to host events for younger men and women to teach them how to carry themselves as men and women and also how to become leaders.
“All of the contestants did an outstanding job throughout the entire process of preparing for the pageant,” said pageant chair Asia Scott, a junior from Shreveport, Louisiana. “The winner definitely earned his position as well as the other title holders.
“The judges chose who they believed executed the best on stage, and Alpha Theta is very excited about our newly crowned Mr. Alpha Kappa Alpha,” Scott said.