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All her life Kalilah Allen-Harris was told if you can dream it, you can achieve it. On June 1, 2007 under the midnight African sky Kalilah Allen-Harris, Miss Black Tennessee’s dream came true when she captured the crown and won a full tuition scholarship to fund her medical school education along with a $20,000 cash stipend.

The 23 year old Montgomery, Alabama native is a 2nd year medical student at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee. Just days after winning the title, Allen-Harris relocated to Baltimore, Maryland where she began a summer internship at John’s Hopkins Medical Center. The Nashville beauty plans to pursue a career as an orthopedic surgeon. During her reign, Kalilah will promote awareness and prevention of juvenile diabetes and partner with other charities.

At the age of fourteen, Kalilah was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. Diabetes -- a disease that affects the body's ability to produce or respond properly to insulin, a hormone that allows blood glucose (sugar) to enter the cells of the body and be used for energy -- is one of the most serious health problems the Black community faces. Compared to the general US population, blacks are disproportionately affected by diabetes: 3.2 million or 13.3 percent of all African Americans aged 20 years or older have diabetes.

In partnership with the American Diabetes Association, the Miss Black U.S.A. Pageant and Scholarship Foundation, Inc. announced earlier this year a yearlong effort to help the Black community in the United States and African countries like the Gambia understand the risks for developing diabetes, the early warning signs and need for more funding to support diabetes research efforts. Kalilah believes that promoting healthy eating habits at a very young age is a first step towards preventing the disease.

In celebration of the pageant’s 20 year anniversary, the pageant was held in the West African nation of The Gambia. This year’s theme --- “A Royal Journey Back to Our Roots” --- embodied our need as African Americans to reconnect with our heritage and reunite with our fellow brothers and sisters of the African Diaspora. For the first time, the pageant was held outside the U.S. in the West African continent of The Gambia where Alex Hailey filmed the high acclaimed movie “Roots.”

The Runner Ups were: Chenoa Greene, Miss Black New Jersey (1st Runner Up), Cleantha Samuel, Miss Black US Virgin Islands (2nd Runner Up), Henecia Manning, Miss Black Georgia (3rd Runner Up), and Andrea Reynolds, Miss Black Kentucky (4th Runner Up).

The Miss Black USA Pageant and Scholarship Foundation, Inc., is non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational opportunity to young women of color and to develop the whole woman, mind, body and spirit.