Little Miss African American Pageant Celebrates "Sweet Sixteen"

Lisa Ruffin Celebrates  Sweet Sixteen with Little Miss African American Scholarship Pageant!   Scholarship Pageant Acknowledges Sasha and Malia Obama

Los Angeles - This year will hold a special place in the heart of actress/ choreographer Lisa Ruffin as she once again produces her annual Little Miss African American Scholarship Pageant.  This will not only be the pageant's "Sweet Sixteen" celebration, but the young participants now have very special real life role models to look up to with Sasha and Malia Obama in the White House!   "This year holds tremendous excitement for us," offers Ruffin. "As adults, we have diligently told our little misses, for over a decade now, that they can be anything they want to be. The sky is the limit.  And now, with 16 years under our belt, we not only have an African American President, but also two real life Little Misses as his daughters.  The symbolism this holds for us is indescribable!"   The Little Miss African American Scholarship pageant has consistently emphasized brains over beauty, positively impacting the lives of hundreds of impressionable young girls over the years.  This year's event will be held Sunday, August 16, 2009 at the Universal Sheraton Hotel at 4:00 p.m. with Red Carpet to take place at 3:00 p.m.  The Universal Sheraton Hotel is located at 333 Universal Hollywood Drive in Universal City, CA.   In addition to a pageantry of intelligent young women, aged 6-12, a host of celebrity talent will serve as judges, making the event a most memorable one for everyone involved.  Last year's celebrity participants included Emmy nominated actress, Chandra Wilson (ABC's Grey's Anatomy), World Boxing Champion Laila Ali, and  James Pickens Jr. (ABC's Grey's Anatomy) with rapper LL Cool J making a surprise appearance.      LMAA is a non-profit educational program designed to showcase the creative and academic talents of young girls living in urban centers throughout the country.   The pageant provides an early introduction to the arts and training in public speaking, while promoting individual creativity and stimulating a heightened cultural understanding.  It is the largest scholarship pageant for African American girls of this age group.   Created by Lisa Ruffin in 1993, LMAA has raised thousands of dollars towards the educational aspirations of its participants as well as their families.  Thousands of lives have been touched and changed through the program.   To learn more about LMAA, visit: www.littlemissafricanamerican.com.