Indianapolis resident Lorissa C. Turner was selected to reign and represent the state of Indiana as Miss Black Indiana USA 2015. Her reign began July 1, 2014.
Turner, raised in Indianapolis, is a passionate mentor, advocate and catalyst for positive change in the lives of girls and young women. She has dedicated her life to the personal development of young ladies through biblical teaching, life skills training, mentorship and etiquette coaching. As a speaker and young women’s minister, her lifestyle of service has changed the lives of women and girls everywhere her voice has been heard.
“I’m overwhelmed by the awesome opportunity to serve as Miss Black Indiana,” says Turner. “My heart is in the community and this platform will provide me with more opportunity to do what I love to do.”
During her reign, Turner will serve as an ambassador for the Heart Truth campaign, a partnership between the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and many national organizations including the Miss Black USA Pageant and Scholarship Foundation, Inc. The campaign raises awareness about heart disease and its risk factors among women and educates and motivates them to take action to prevent the disease and control its risk factors.
Turner will also work with various other community-driven campaigns.
20-year-old Turner is studying psychology and social work at Vincennes University and aspires to be a mental health counselor.
Turner founded Ladies of True Beauty in 2014, an organization designed to promote the growth, well-being and total beauty of young ladies throughout the world. The organization accomplishes this through motivational speaking, mentoring and workshops.
Turner also will represent the state of Indiana in next year’s Miss Black USA national pageant to be held in Washington, D.C. Those interested in donating to Turner’s campaign fund may do so at www.gofundme.com/missblackindiana2015.
The Miss Black USA Pageant and Scholarship Foundation, Inc., is a non-profit corporation, recognized under the 501(c) 3 code of the Internal Revenue Service. It is the mission of the Miss Black USA Pageant to provide educational opportunities to outstanding young women of color and to develop the “whole woman mind, body, and spirit.”