Elisa Cook, of Meridian, will represent the Queen City at the upcoming Miss Black Mississippi USA Pageant slated for Monday, Sept. 2, at Belhaven University’s Center for The Performing Arts in Jackson.

Cook is a freshman at Jones College in Ellisville, majoring in applied science. She currently serves as the Miss Black Queen City Talented Teen.

Her first time competing for the Miss Black Mississippi USA Talented Teen title, Cook will compete in the following categories: personal interview, fitness, talent, evening gown and on-stage question.

During her personal interview, Cook will promote her platform “Confidence in You: Leadership Development for the Youth.” Over the past six months, she has partnered with various organizations to implement the importance of her platform.

A 2024 graduate of Clarkdale High School, Cook served as president of the school’s Future Business Leaders of America Club and was a member of the Student Council.

The Miss Black Mississippi USA Pageant is the state preliminary to the national Miss Black USA Pageant, a scholarship pageant founded in 1987 by philanthropist and award-winning author Karen Arrington. More than $700,000 in scholarships have been awarded at the national pageant since its creation, according to the missblackusa.org website. Over the past three and a half decades, the Mississippi pageant has seen several of its title holders go on to place in the Top 10 and win Director’s Awards and Community Service Awards at the national pageant.

The state pageant will begin at 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 2, at the performing arts center located at 835 Riverside Drive in Jackson. Tickets are available on the state pageant’s website at missblackmstnusapageant.com.