Dale Williams reigned as Miss Tennessee State University between 1992-1993. Williams started an annual conference for HBCU queens upon graduation, because she said the crown really changed her life. She was recruited back to her alma matter as an adviser to Miss Tennessee State University, which helped her develop her inspiration for the “Leadership for Queens” portion of the conference. “The crown led me to not only develop a conference that is one of a kind– but I have had the opportunity to have a lengthy career in higher education,” said Williams. Williams’ experience in working with the court and living the royal life has given her keen insight into the growth and changes to court life over time. She understands that HBCU queens can be traced back to 1920s, but feels like often, people in such positions seek to define the crown by their own standards. She feels that these positions should be sought to provide an example for the students on campus of someone they can relate to. “My biggest lesson as Miss Tennessee State University was to always follow your passion,” said Williams. “I was not predicted to win, but it was my destiny, and I learned from that to never count yourself out or throw in the towel– but to always try because you might just win!”
Posted on: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 19:05:35 +0000