“You’re crazy, that’ll never get done,” is what some members in Raven Nelson’s organization said about his idea to conduct a scholarship pageant. After his display of dedication by being a Mr. Ebony Debonair contestant, the AKA scholarship pageant, Nelson knew it would take a lot of work and was determined to be put on the line to make his idea flourish.
Kappa Kappa Psi is a national honorary band fraternity, and the Delta Psi chapter here in Prairie View has definitely made their mark on the map in a few instances. From BET’s Spring Bling, a Super Bowl halftime performance (or two), step shows in and out of state, and Honda Battle of the Bands recognition, it’s pretty safe to say, people know when KKPsi is in the building. But what do they know them for? Stepping.
The performances they bring can electrify anybody within range. From the precision they display when throwing “Ks,” to the creativity they toggle around at stepshows, they all gave Nelson a challenge when he had to figure out how to bottle all the energy they bring as a fraternity, and release it into a pageant.
“The good and bad experiences made this whole experience everything that it was,” said Nelson.
Now we all know that legacies have a starting point. Being that it is Black History Month, we are reminded that people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X left impacting legacies. We are even captivated by the words and actions by modern legacies that are being started today, like Barack Obama’s rise to presidency. With that in mind, don’t all legacies start the same? A little doubt and a lot of work go a long way.
If Nelson was to start this legacy right, he needed a sound team along with him for the ride. “The girls were amazing,” he said about the pageant contestants. The work they put in started in early December, and continuously raised the bar so that it would be the “best pageant on the yard,” as Nelson would put it.
The pageant came and left, and a foundation has been laid. The brothers of Kappa Kappa Psi have found something to be proud of being a part of. A pageant. People raved after the pageant and spoke highly of the entertaining event. To add to all the excitement, there is even a highly deserving Miss Psi Star who has been crowned.
Crystal Chatmon is the first ever Miss Psi Star, and anticipated that moment from the start. “From the beginning, I was overwhelmed and very pleased to be a part of this,” she said. Her title will go in a history book somewhere thanks to a legacy that started right in Hobart Taylor.