Erika Harold
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Erika Harold Beauty pageant titleholder |
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Birth location: | Champaign, Illinois |
Eye color: | Brown |
Hair color: | Brown |
Ethnicity: | mixed |
Title(s): | Miss America 2003 |
Major Competition(s): | Miss America 2003 |
Erika Harold (born 1980) was Miss America 2003, having qualified for the pageant by being selected Miss Illinois 2002. Her official platform was "Preventing Youth Violence and Bullying: Protect Yourself, Respect Yourself." This platform choice was said to have grown out of personal experience; she recounts having been the subject of racial and sexual harassment[1] while growing up. However, in the first week of her reign, she also adopted a dual platform for Sexual Abstinence, causing some pageant observers to accuse her of harboring a hidden agenda. She held a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington during which she claimed the Miss American organization was bullying her. [2]
Harold's ethnic background is extremely varied. On her father's side, she has Greek, German and Welsh ancestry, and on her mother's side, Native-American, African-American and Russian descent.[3]
Harold was born in Urbana, Illinois. She attended University High School and Urbana High School in Urbana, and later graduated from the University of Illinois as a Phi Beta Kappa honoree. In 2007, she graduated Harvard University's Law School and as of June 2008 was employed as an associate attorney at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago, Illinois.[4]
Harold is politically conservative, and was the Youth Director for the Republican primary campaign of Illinois gubernatorial candidate Patrick O'Malley. [5] She later served as a delegate to the 2004 Republican National Convention.
[edit] References
- ^ Salon: Miss America's stealth virginity campaign
- ^ News from Agape Press
- ^ American Medical Association & Newsmax.com articles
- ^ [1].
- ^ University Blog
Preceded by Katie Harman |
Miss America 2003 |
Succeeded by Ericka Dunlap |