Uplift Luna Secondary is home to this year’s Miss Black Teen Texas US Ambassador, senior Arbranyz’e Robertson. Robertson thought the pageant was a great scholarship opportunity, and also a way to continue giving back to the community and creating the change she wants to see in it.
“I feel like I stood out because of my passion and compassion towards what I want to raise awareness about,” Robertson said.
Robertson wants to raise awareness on teen STDs and teen pregnancy, and felt that educating women at a young age about the dangers and risks would greatly reduce those numbers. She felt it was also important to reach out and connect with the young women who have already had a child, since friends she had gone to school with had children at a young age. She remembers them telling her that they would just drop out of high school and try to find work to support their child, but Robertson wanted to persuade and encourage them to continue their education because it would open up more opportunities down the line in their lives.
Miss Black Teen Texas US Ambassador’s Marketing and Local Outreach Director, Darnetta Forteau, said that this program is unique from most pageants because instead of selecting a winner, then asking them to pick what they wanted to focus on, Miss Black Teen Texas US Ambassador program selects teens who already knew what issue they wanted to Highlight.
Once the crown was placed on her head, no one was fighting back tears more than her mother, Jhasmyn Howard, who said that she was so proud that her daughter had won. She said that once her daughter was crowned, she knew right then that her little girl wasn’t so little anymore.
“I’m proud to have raised such an intelligent, passionate, and mature young lady,” Howard said. ”This accomplishment will not only open doors in Arbranyz’e’s future, but the lives of the women she will impact.”
Forteau plans to help Robertson start her community work by connecting her with the Hope Mansion based out of Cedar Hill, Texas, which already focuses on crisis pregnancies and helping young mothers receive support. Robertson feels that she will be able to connect with them and be a great outlet of encouragement for the young women as well.
This summer she will travel to Orlando to represent Texas in the teen division this summer at the national competition, and hopes to use the platform to speak about the risks of teen STD’s and teen pregnancy, on a national scale. Robertson said that as long as she’s able to help at least one person successfully navigate through the difficulties of teen pregnancy, she will feel that she’s doing a great job in her role as this year’s Miss Black Teen Texas US Ambassador.
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