Thursday, March 28, 2024

Experience key in contestants bid for title

March 14, 2001

This is the third in a five-part series profiling the contestants of the Mr. Black MSU pageant.

Something is missing at MSU, said Jelani Still, the Black Student Alliance representative for Rather Hall Black Caucus.

“There’s more leaders needed in the black community to take a stand and make things happen for the good of the community,” the urban planning and geography freshman said.

And if Still becomes the next Mr. Black MSU on Saturday, he said he plans to help fill the void.

The Mr. Black MSU pageant, sponsored by Black Student Alliance, profiles black male undergraduates who stand out academically through their student leadership on and off campus.

Marketing senior DeAndre Carter, founder and president of DCI Motivational Services, a motivational speaking business, was crowned the first Mr. Black MSU last year.

Carter’s active role on campus during his reign provided Still with inspiration for the moment he will compete for the title, he said.

“I thought to myself ‘this brother is really active,” Still said. “He was very encouraging, which uplifted me.

“Why shouldn’t I uplift someone else?”

BSA President Tonya Upthegrove said all the men who will participate in Saturday’s pageant stand out as leaders in the black community.

“This year’s pageant should be interesting, because each of the candidates brings a lot of things to the table in terms of being able to represent as Mr. Black MSU,” the communication senior said.

As a potential Mr. Black MSU, Still said he’s willing to help bring solidarity to black students.

“Unity is not easy to promote to such a large group,” he said. “But I’m willing to step up to that challenge and show what it means to be unified as a black community.”

Psychology freshman Sakia Ward, Still’s best friend of five years, said she believes he has the ability to follow through with his ambition.

“He’s a leader in many ways,” she said. “He’s very outspoken, outgoing and he has a lot of ambition. He’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done, and I believe he would give the position his all.”

Working with the Rather Hall Black Caucus has provided Still with valuable leadership experience, he said.

“The people I work with are very serious about getting things done,” Still said. “And when we set our minds to it, we do.”

That experience is part of what makes Still a strong contender to win the title on Saturday, he said.

“That’s how I am in my own life,” he said. “I want to make things happen.”


The Mr. Black MSU pageant is at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Kellogg Center Auditorium. Admission is free.

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