The Mr. Collegiate African American Program is back

The Mr. Collegiate African American Program (MCAAP) is back! Black male college students, primarily from historically black colleges and universities (HBCU’s) and other universities across the nation are invited to compete in the 2016 pageant program set for October 27-29  in Prairie View and Houston, Texas.
 
Mr. Collegiate was created in 1990 and the first pageant was held in April 1992. According to Frederick V. Roberts, a spokesperson for the pageant, the MCAAP's mission is to empower Black men with role modeling, character education, values clarification, and to embrace every opportunity given to him in a proper manner.

The Mr. Collegiate Pageant, the first of its kind in the world for Black men, was created in 1990 with the first pageant staged in April 1992. Mr. Charles Clemens of Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) was selected as the first Mr. Collegiate.  Clemens went on to represent the pageant at the Miss Collegiate Black America pageant and was featured in Ebony Man, Black College Today, Class and Black Excellence magazines.

This year's theme is "Be Ye Transformed: Our Heritage, Our Legacy” is designed to invoke the spirit of the ancestors and to encourage the brothers to do well in their endeavors.

The pageant is being sponsored in conjunction with the National Leadership Summit on the Black Male, set for October 28-29, and hosted by the Collegiate 100 at the university.  The summit will focus on helping to create the next generation of leaders in the likes of President Barak Obama, Dr. Cornell West, Mark Morial, the Honorable Louis Farrakhan, Benjamin Chavis, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X and Colin Powell, etc. 

The final competition will be held on the campus of Prairie View A&M University at 7 p.m. on October 29, 2016.

Asked why should students participate? Roberts states: "They should participate in the pageant because it provides them the opportunity to develop the spirit of competition,  The pageant also provides programs for personal and professional development, self-esteem and confidence building, enhancement of leadership skills and developing a sense of responsibility to help the community."

The goal of the program is provide a model of excellence for Black males for a positive belief in oneself and race, and to encourage individual and group achievement in the pursuit of excellence.  We must dispel the myth that one has to be a product of a negative environment and can be a catalyst for change and achievement. We will be intentional with our programs that highlights issues and concerns which shows that Black men matters in the community.

Candidates will compete in five categories: personal and private interview; platform expression; talent; evening wear; and on-stage interview question. The young men will be judged by a panel consisting of professionals from the entertainment, academic and business community. Past judges have included mayors, council members, and executive producers of America's pageant systems, recording artists, professors, entrepreneurs and business owners.

The program winners will receive more than $5,000 in scholarships and prizes. They will also have the opportunity to represent the pageant throughout the year and receive media coverage (e.g. ABC, GMA, CBS, NBC, Ellen, Montell, Steve Harvey, OWN TV, Wendy, ET!, USA Today, The Tonight Show, CNN, MTV, BET and Fox, etc.)

Deadline for application is September 30, 2016.

For pageant and leadership summit information, contact: Mr. Collegiate African American Scholarship Pageant, P. O. Box 5433, Prairie View, Texas 77446 or mrcollegiate@yahoo.com.