August 17, 2013 - August 23, 2013, The Afro-American
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Pageant contestants Edgar Brookins surrounded by the pageant contestants
Photos by Rob Roberts Karen Arrington and Yvette Johnson
Former pageant contestant giving encouraging remarks to 2013 contestants
The 2013 Miss Black USA (MBUSA) Scholarship Pageant competition formally kicked off with a Red Dress reception on Aug 7 at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel, Arlington, Va. as scores of contestants vie to become next Miss Black USA.
Representatives from the Heart Truth Campaign of the National Institute of Health (NIH) were in attendance as a partner (with MBUSA) for the reception and to promote Heart Disease Awareness.
Pageant producer Anthony Vann, Yvette Johnson and Miss Black Alabama 2008 Andretta Rhone
Cara Crosby, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH and Monique Ndenecho, The Heart Truth Campaign, NIH
Pageant organizers with the 2013 contestants
Miss Black Oklahoma, Danelle Payne; Nneka Igbokwe and Lisa Matthews, PhD
The Silver Fox Yvette Johnson with Miss Black Georgia USA Jordan Riles
Monica Valdiviez-Wiley, Edgar Brookins and Lisa Mathews, PhD
Yvette Johnson and contestants
Miss Black Louisiana USA, Chante Rice; Nakia Nelson, Louisiana State Director and Talented Teen Sarette Wilson
Photos by Rob Roberts
The Brookins Family: Edgar Brookins; Linda Brookins; Dexter Brookins, the Promotee; Ciera Brookins and Javier Brookins
Yvonne Thomas Jackson, a careerist in the Senior Executive Service of the Federal Government congratulates Dexter
Pamela Alexander, USAF; Karen Chisolm, USAF; Lt. Col. Priscilla Smalls and Faye Hyslop, BET Networks
Flavius Galiber (cousin); Linda Brookins; Dexter Brookins, Linord Moudou , The Voice of America; Gloria Sawyers, Government Contractor and Edgar Brookins
The Reaffirmation of the Oath of Office being administered by Col. Matt Coleman
Dexter’s son, Javier, helps his Dad don his headgear with the new rank insignia
Lt. Gen. (Ret) William Ward and wife Joyce during the singing of the National Anthem; in the foreground, Lt. Col. (Ret) Alvin Phillips and Col. Tia Johnson
Brookins’ family members, some of whom travelled from Wisconsin to attend the ceremony
Dexter’s mother and father, Linda and Edgar, place the Lt. Col. shoulder boards on his uniform
Cutting the cake
Dexter’s first cousin, Flavius Galiber, congratulates him
Col. (Ret) Dorene Hurt, Maj. Gen. (Ret) George Alexander, M.D., Gabriele Tyler, Joyce Ward, Lt. Gen. (Ret) Julius Becton, Brig. Gen. Henry Huntley, Rev. Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd and Lt. Gen. (Ret) William Ward
Brig. Gen. Henry L. Huntley, director of human resources policy for the U.S. Army, conducted a ceremony in honor of Dexter M. Brookins’ promotion to lieutenant colonel Aug. 10 at the Women in Military Service to America Memorial in Arlington, Va. Before family, friends and a host of other guests, the Army Promotion Orders were read and shoulder boards for the rank of lieutenant colonel were placed on the epaulettes of Brookins’ shirt and service dress uniform by his parents, Edgar and Linda Brookins. The military Brig. Gen. ceremony Huntley presents included: the the official arrival of the official party, promotion orders to Lt. Col. the singing of the “Star Brookins Spangled Banner,” the reading of the promotion orders, a reaffirmation of the oath of office and the singing of the “Army Goes Rolling Along,” the Army Song. Special guests included retired Lt. Gens. Julius Becton and William Ward, along with retired Maj. Gens. Dorian Anderson, George Alexander and John Hawkins. A receiving line and reception followed the ceremony.
Maj. John Ransom and wife, childhood friends of Dexter
Lt. Col C. Wayne Brittian (chaplain) and Rev. Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd gave the invocation and Renee Allen sang the National Anthem