In The News

from The Telegraph
November 4, 2003

For The Telegraph/ JAMES B. RITTER Harold holds 11-month-old Naomi Perkins of Alton while the students at Lovejoy School’s after-school program sing during the 2003 Miss America’s visit to the school Monday afternoon.

Miss America offers frank tone in second day of visit

By ADAM LINHARDT
The Telegraph

ALTON - With multiple palm waves and a big smile, Miss America 2003 Erika Harold on Monday wrapped up the second leg of a three-day area tour with visits to schools in Alton and Bethalto.

Today, she ends her sweep with a 9 a.m. stop at Alton High School and a 1 p.m. visit to Edwardsville High School.

At each of her stops, the Urbana, Ill., resident is telling hundreds of students that they can overcome bullying and temptation through inner strength and a belief that they control their own destiny.

She said the crown has given her a newfound confidence in her convictions, but she’s always had strong beliefs.

“It was important to me that I define myself on my own terms,” she told students at the first stop on Monday, Civic Memorial High School in Bethalto. “Don’t be apologetic for not being like the others. I’m not going to let others dictate how I’m going to live my life and neither should you.”

Harold raised eyebrows shortly after her 2003 victory when pageant officials frowned on her no-sex-is-the-only-safe-sex platform. She stood her ground and eventually officials caved.

She now speaks openly about very personal experiences in her youth. Harold said she was victimized in school but learned to overcome those obstacles through faith.

Harold, 23, considers herself an African American, though she has Cherokee Indian, Greek, German and English roots as well. She said it is that multi-ethnicity that caused problems for her early in life.

"I was the victim of sexual harassment and bullying in the ninth grade," she said. "Racial slurs were written on my desk. My family's home was vandalized. I was trying to do anything I could to get away from the harassment, but the teachers didn't believe me or listen. They said I should be careful about making those kinds of statements. They said I just wanted the attention."

Harold said she eventually left the school, but similar problems followed her. It was only until she tried out for a school-play that others saw her for who she is. By the time she reached the University of Illinois others began to respect her toughness, and she said that's when when her message to America's youth began to take shape."

In addition to Civic Memorial High, Harold spoke at Wilbur Trimpe Middle in Bethalto and Marquette Catholic High School and Lovejoy Elementary School in Alton and later in the day paid a special visit to the youngsters at Maxine's Day Care in Alton.

The older students, however, received a very specific and straightforward message:
"Ladies, don't sleep with the first guy who offers to super-size your extra-value meal at McDonald's," she told the crowd at Marquette. They cheered loudly.

Harold's trip to the Alton area was the result of one woman's desire for area children to hear her message.

Sarah Daniel of Godfrey saw Harold speak earlier this year at East St. Louis High School and made a few phone calls.

She eventually tapped Libby Gray of Project Reality, an abstinence outreach group that works with public schools, and eventually Gray called back and said Miss America was on her way.
"When I heard her speak I thought, 'What a wonderful message. We need to bring her here,'" Daniel said. "I think kids listen to her."

Harold conceded parents are the best role models for kids, especially when it comes to sex, but added often they don't get the positive reinforcement when they leave the home.

"Sometimes it's good for young people to hear it from someone closer to their age," Harold said.

The younger kids along her many stops were treated with a little opera singing and a brief talk on bullying. Maxine Jackson Caldwell, owner of Maxine's Day Care, was overjoyed to have Harold speak to her very young students.

"This is a big deal - a very big deal," Caldwell said. "For her to visit here, in this community, I don't have the words. The community is here, church members and parents. It's an honor for us, to be chosen. Her message was such a powerful thing for my granddaughter. Her being here gives us a sense of community. We're overjoyed. I'm speechless."

Harold told students she would like to be the first black female president and hopes a law degree from Harvard will help. She was mum on where she stands of the political spectrum.

"It depends on the issue," she said. "I think this country needs to be more inclusive of other belief systems and not driven as much by ideology. I think we're just now learning how to find common ground."

As Harold was leaving CMHS, one brave young man asked if he would ever have a shot at a date. Harold only laughed and said, "Maybe, I don't know."

"Whenever I describe my Mr. Right to an audience the young men always say, 'You're describing me, that's me,'" Harold said laughing. "So I always tell girls to wait and have patience. They're out there."

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