By: Oyez Olatunde Rex (Nigeria)
The 18th day of March 2023, that is, a few days from now, Miss Africa USA, the pageant described as ‘the mother of African pageants in the diaspora’ is billed to crown a new queen.
The Miss Africa USA pageant organizers’ goal has been the “grooming of a new generation of African women leaders, redefining the image of the African woman as one who is beautiful inside- out, intelligent, very savvy and a change agent for her community and the world.
For the 2023 edition, 15 women of African descent are competing for the crown, all lovely queens in their own rights.
Rextun City Updates spoke to contestant, Miss Porscha Lee Taylor and got into who she is; what makes her thick, and why she wants to be the next Miss Africa USA.
Miss Taylor is a Nigerian, Panamanian American born in the diaspora from Fayette Ville, North Carolina. No ambiguities about it, at first meeting, she comes across as an elegant, confident and exciting young lady.
I must say, I was smitten by her beauty; but beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. So, I’d rather not dwell on her gorgeous looks. But give it to her, confident poise; quick wits, broad intellect and an aura of leadership that’s both unmistakable and irresistible. You would want to embark with her on projects; ambitious projects meant for only those who dare to do.
You don’t have to take my word for it. See this yourself in the videos I have embedded in this article. Need I say it? That even in these embedded videos; you haven’t seen the total package of Tech savvy, passionate and zeal for the empowerment of the women folk which Porscha Lee Taylor embodies. I invite you to visit her you Tube channel for more of her.
Education and Some past.
Porscha Lee Taylor had her early education at Robeson Early College High School, Lumberton, North Carolina and attended the North Carolina A&T State University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communications with a concentration in Public Relations.
While at the University, she became Miss 1911 of the Mu Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi; president of the largest students’ academic organization with over 140 student members of (NABJ) National Association of Black Journalists; member of PRSSA; NAACP and had 6 internships before graduating.
“After graduating from college, Porscha took a leap of faith and moved to Washington DC with one suitcase, $300 and slept on her sister’s couch while searching for her next career move.
4 years later as a resident of the nation’s capital, she has accomplished being an advocate for her late grandmother by becoming the Alzheimer’s Ambassador to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton; Junior board member of the NCA chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association; helped raised 3.1 million dollars for research in March 2016; told her story on Fox 5 DC; lobbied on Capitol Hill with Miss USA 2016- Olivia Jordan and was later crowned Miss District of Columbia, United States 2016 and placed top 10 of Miss United States.
Since then she has traveled internationally to countries like Guatemala to help cope Children suffering from poverty and limited access to proper education. She also worked with top companies in the Tech industry like Adobe.” – www.ashleyalittle.com
Notably too, Miss Taylor has one project or another at every moment of her life. Her personal motto is ‘Say yes to your dream, say yes to you’. And she has taken the assertiveness of this motto beyond mere saying by founding a woman led Tech start up called ‘Say Yes LLC’ based in Washington DC. www.sayyescareer.com
Say Yes LLC designs websites; develops Tech savvy products and creates digital marketing and branding campaigns for businesses. Miss Taylor also runs a radio segment and podcast called ‘Tech talk with Porscha Lee Taylor’.
Over the years, Miss Taylor constantly turned her struggles into strength, and always presented to the world her story –‘The story of a courageous girl from the diaspora, who was curious in the discovery and had the audacity to do it beautifully’.
And now she is audacious again, in her aspiration to change the lots of African women and girls, through the instrumentality of Miss Africa USA.
Why Miss Africa USA?
In her words, “I want to give back so others can move forward.
Miss Taylor wants to share her vulnerable life experiences, so that others may be empowered to strive for greatness in the midst of adversities. For her, the Miss Africa USA crown is a means to an end. The end being to reach out to women of color, and empower them for meaningful lives of actualizing their potentials in Tech leadership and business ownership.
Women of color according to her “make up to 80% of all women led businesses in the United States. In Technology however, that number plummets to 4%” and this scenario may be even more staggering in parts of Africa.
Her goal therefore as Miss Africa USA, “is to change that narrative completely by creating a sisterhood of women and girl leaders that desire to break historical barriers in technology and entrepreneurship through social impacts.
Miss Porscha Lee Taylor has a platform that’s hash tagged STEM. #STEM stands for Sisters in Technology and Entrepreneurship Matters. As Miss Africa USA, she intends to leverage on the platform as it will “focus on creating a sisterhood movement of 500 women and girls in Africa and in the United States over the next year, who desire to be Tech leaders and business owners within their communities”
The former Miss District of Columbia believes that “by advocating for women education and women business leaderships, together we will influence social impact, bring in education resources for girls in Africa and establish employment opportunities for women in underrepresented areas”
Behold African women, a true advocate of your empowerment for advancement; I give you Porscha Lee Taylor.
click link below picture to find all links to support Porscha now.
