Laila Ali to Host the 20 Year Anniversary Little Miss African American Scholarship Pageant

buzzz worthy. . .

Laila Ali, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens, Jr., Kym Whitley and Arjay Smith

Join Pageant Producer Lisa Ruffin for

20 Year Little Miss African American Scholarship Pageant

Los Angeles - The beautiful athlete and television personality Laila Ali will inspire the hearts of many when she hosts the 20 year anniversary of the Little Miss African American Scholarship Pageant (LMAA) on Sunday, August 4, 2013 at 4:00 p.m. at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. Pageant producer Lisa Ruffin has planned a luminous affair for her participants and attendees this year with a host of celebrity judges that include ABC-TV's "Grey's Anatomy" stars Chandra Wilson and James Pickens, Jr., OWN TV star Kym Whitley from "Raising Whitley," Nicklelodean's Arjay Smith and "Girlfriends" Golden Brooks. The Wilshire Ebell is located at 743 S. Lucerne Blvd. in Los Angeles, south of Wilshire Blvd. Tickets are available at www. Littlemissafricanamericaninc. org and at the Wilshire Ebell box office.

LMAA Judges top to bottom, left to right: Chandra Wilson; James Pickens, Jr.; Kym Whitley and Arjay Smith

The Little Miss African American Scholarship Pageant has served as one of the nation's most astute educational programs dedicated to empowering young African American women between the ages of 6 and 12 with the concepts of CAP - Confidence, Awareness and Pride. Lisa Ruffin, an actress and choreographer, has successfully utilized the pageant format to introduce girls from around the country to the arts, introduce them to public speaking and engage them in individual creativity.

The full curriculum encompasses a summer program of coaching, guest lectures and demonstrations on the heritage of the African America experience. The young ladies are tutored in voice projection, poise, body movement and memory technique by instructors from the worlds of art, entertainment and education.

The pageant has seen a host of celebrity participation over the years including LL Cool J, Jamie Foxxand Taraji P. Henson . Jay Leno even paid a holiday visit to Ruffin and the pageant participants last Christmas, acknowledging the wonderful work Ruffin has done over the years with a surprise visit from China Ann McClain, the star of the Disney Channel's "A.N.T. Farm" and Tyler Perry's "House of Payne." and

This year's host, Laila Ali is especially fitting for the vision of LMAA. The mother of two, Ali is a world-class athlete, fitness and wellness expert, cooking enthusiast and the founder of the Laila Ali Lifestyle Brand. The daughter of the legendary Muhammad Ali, Laila is also a four-time undefeated world boxing champion. In addition to her work as a cast member of NBC's highly touted reality program "Stars Earn Stripes" where she competed to raise money for a charity that supports veterans and their children, Laila hosts ABC-TV's "Everyday Health."

Pageant creator/producer Lisa Ruffin

"I get ecstatic and teary eyed when I think about all the young lives we have been able to touch over a span of 20 years," offers Ruffin. "There are grown women as well as young girls out there in the world who we have positively influenced and I am just extremely grateful."

Tickets are available at www. Littlemissafricanamericaninc. org and at the Wilshire Ebell box office.

For a visual overview of the pageant and its impact on contestants, go to

http://vimeo.com/15018101.

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