Why Mrs. Black America recently visited the Erwin Center
Gastonia native Mallory Foxx, 36, was named Mrs. Black North Carolina International Ambassador earlier this year.
Foxx used her platform recently to give away 1,200 backpacks and more than $2,000 other school supplies.
“A lot of people say pageantry is a vain sport, but I use pageantry to amplify my voice as a community leader,” Foxx said.
The most important part of competing in pageants for Foxx is the community service.
“I am a firm believer in community service,” she said.
In her 15 years as a competitor, Foxx has worked with many different organizations, and even started her own mentoring organization called Mentoring M.I.N.D.S.
M.I.N.D.S. stands for mentoring, influencing, nurturing and developing students.
Mentoring M.I.N.D.S. typically works with kids between the ages of 8-18, but Foxx says she has recently been working with all ages.
Her youngest mentee is five-years-old, and her oldest mentee is 18 and heading into Johnson C. Smith University with a full-ride scholarship.
“I know what it’s like to be a troubled teen because I was one. I was told I’d never amount to anything,” Foxx said.
“Growing up in a marginalized community, a lot of people look down or forget about the kids,” she added.
Foxx says she only ever hears about the negative, “and I want to highlight the good. If no one else is going to step up to the plate, then I am,” she said.
Foxx set a personal goal for her most recent project to collect 100 backpacks by herself.
She passed that goal and collected 150 packs on her own.
Several other community organizations reached out to Foxx when they heard what she was working on and offered to help.
It was with the assistance of 101 Black Men of the Highland Community, D.Y.E.P., and the Women’s Empowerment organization that Foxx was able to bring the number of backpacks up to 1,200 and supplies surpassed 2,000.
“It was a whirlwind of emotions. So many people said, ‘you should start small,’ but I was like, ‘God’s gonna provide,’” Foxx said. “If it wasn’t for all of the support I received from everyone in Gastonia, I don’t think it would’ve gone without a hitch.”
According to Foxx, the event was scheduled for 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Saturday, and the team had already handed out all of the backpacks by 12:30 p.m.
They are already working together to plan another event for next year.
Foxx will travel to Atlanta, Georgia, this October to compete in her next pageant.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Mrs. Black America visited the Erwin Center
