The Miss Gold of the Epsilon Delta’s Chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc., Miss Yarica Charleston held a coed forum for the student body of Grambling State University.
Charleston has held the Miss Gold title for two years, and put this event together to help empower student’s in with transition into college and help them find friends that care about them.
One of Miss Gold’s many methods of empowerment began as soon as you walked in at the door. Charleston handed out crowns for each participant having each guest write one word that described them on it and to wear it the duration of the event. Crowns ranged from “Queen Quality”, “King Positivity”, “Sir Shy”, and “Miss Smiley”, and even “Miss Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”. Each person is a king or queen in their own right, and she (or Miss Gold) wanted to expose that.
“It is so very important to empower those persons that are battered or hurting from their past. I wanted others to come in and have a safe place where everyone could feel someone motivating them to keep going,” said Charleston, senior Mass Communication from Fort Worth, Texas. “I hope to teach others to accept their challenges so that they can face their giants too.”
Miss Gold also held a snowball fight, where each person wrote an insecurity that they had on an index card, balled it up, and threw it in the middle of the floor. Charleston read some of the cards aloud to her audience and gave her feedback overcoming each situation discussed.
Charleston and master of ceremony for the evening Shelby Prout, opened the floor for the audience to reveal their personal testimonies to the group. Two very courageous students came up to speak, Ashanti Haley and Kyle West.
“Tonight’s event was very one on one,” says Ashanti Haley, a sophomore from Simmesport. “I want to be a mentor for battered women, so me being able to get up there and tell my domestic violence story is one way I know I can let go of my own fears. Taking a step out on faith tonight and sharing my story allowed me to do just that,” Haley affirmed, whom majors include psychology and social studies education.
Many people with testimonies similar to Haley’s are victimized, and are scared of being judged. Miss Gold’s right on time message of empowerment gave a voice to some that may feel inferior or voiceless