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Ms. Grambling Faith aims to improve mental health issues in the African American community

Faith Daniels was crowned as the 68th Ms. Grambling on Thursday, Sept. 16 in the T.H Harris Auditorium during coronation week.  

Daniels is an Atlanta native who is majoring in mass communication and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. 

She additionally interned at Streetz 94.5 radio station in Atlanta. She is also a member of the GSU Television Center where she is a reporter, producer and a camera operator under the direction of Alan Blakeney. 

Daniels says that coronation week was very stressful. Coronation week was filled with hair appointments, nail appointments and dress alteration appointments. Not to mention the rehearsals of the show and the stage set ups. 

She said she was most excited about how the program would turn out and seeing her mom who was a former Grambling State University queen from 1983-1984. Daniels couldn’t be more happy about following in her mother’s footsteps. 

After the announcement came of her being crowned, she took to Instagram to write a caption under her and her mom's photo: "Dear Miss Grambling 1983-1984, Thank you for choosing me to be your legacy. I promise to represent with style and with grace, to be patient and most of all be the selfless woman you have raised me to be." 

“It means everything,” Daniel said. "I said I wanted to be Ms. Grambling my freshman year and she has supported me and stood by me the same way my grandmother did for her when she was Miss Grambling.”

Every year, each queen has to come up with a platform to serve as a model for the fellow student body. 

Daniel’s platform is Beauty and Tiger. 

“It advocates for those who suffer mental health issues in the African American community,” Daniels said. “I plan to implement my platform by being an outlet for students who feel voiceless and host events catering to the mental and emotional health of my peers.” 

According to the article Breaking the Cycle of Silence Around Black Mental Health, one in every three Black children in the United States has been exposed to two to eight adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which can have serious long-term effects on a person’s health for the rest of their lives. 

There is a stigma in the black community that mental health doesn't exist or if it does exist, it is bearable. There is also a stigma that mental health is not important in the community and if there is a need for counseling, a person looks weak. 

Daniels says by implementing her platform, she can bridge a gap and normalize getting help if someone on campus is having mental health issues. 

Daniels was crowned by the former Miss Grambling Ashley Dabney who is also a member and former president of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Divine 9. 

Faith Daniels