Ashley Griffin has traded in her Nike shorts and T-shirts for high heels, dresses, a sparkling tiara and a sash proclaiming that she’s Greenwood’s Miss Hospitality.
Formerly a self-proclaimed “tomboy,” Griffin will represent her hometown in the Mississippi Miss Hospitality Pageant in Hattiesburg. Griffin will be one of 30 contestants from across the state competing for the title and more than $100,000 in scholarships and prizes July 31 and Aug. 1 at the historic Saenger Theater.
Each Mississippi Miss Hospitality Pageant contestant will be judged on a panel interview, a one-on-one interview, an on-stage question, an evening gown competition, a speech on the state’s tourism and a 20-second commercial for her hometown.
“I’m still getting used to being Greenwood’s Miss Hospitality,” said Griffin. “I think once I get past the state pageant, I’ll look back and see that I really did some big stuff this year.”
Griffin, 18, is the daughter of Annette Griffin of Greenwood and Demetrius Griffin of Dallas. She recently graduated fifth in her class from Pillow Academy with a 4.74 grade point average.
While at Pillow, she was involved in dance, track and field, Astra Club, Crown Club, the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and various other clubs and activities. For the past five years, Griffin has been active in Girl Scout Troop 393, recently serving as president.
She is a member of Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church and active in its youth group.
In the fall, Griffin will attend Delta State University, where she will study chemistry with a focus on pre-pharmacy. She was also selected for DSU’s Delta Belles dance team.
The Greenwood Miss Hospitality Pageant was a first for Griffin.
“For a couple of months, I kept telling my mom that I wanted to do a pageant,” she said. “I wanted to try something new and out of my comfort zone. My mom suggested that I try the Miss Hospitality Pageant.”
Griffin had heard about the pageant at her school and played basketball with last year’s winner, Anne Claire Dunn.
“It’s just something we hear about every year,” she said.
Griffin said it took a few minutes to grasp the fact that she had won the Greenwood title during the April pageant.
“I felt good about it, but I thought, ‘What are the chances of this being my first pageant and I win?’” she said. “It didn’t register until I looked at my mom, and then I realized I had won. I just kind of stood there, and someone said, ‘Go get your crown.’ It was very exciting.”
Griffin’s win was a historic moment. When the crown was placed on her head, she became the first African-American Greenwood Miss Hospitality — a distinction that is dear to Griffin’s heart.
“My church is in a historic black community — Browning. So when I went back to my church, everyone congratulated me and told me how I was helping the African-American community,” Griffin said.
Evonna Lucas, Greenwood Miss Hospitality Pageant director, said that Griffin being the first African-American Miss Hospitality carries a lot of weight.
“She’s broken that barrier, erased that stigma and shown that this pageant is for everybody,” said Lucas. “This is Greenwood. We’re a melting pot of different backgrounds, and we all make up this town.”
Griffin said she hopes that her win will encourage more African-American young women to enter the contest in the future.
“It can help bring Greenwood together,” said Griffin. “Girls in the African-American community won’t feel like this is not anything they could do or say, “I won’t enter, because I won’t have a chance.’”
Since her win, Griffin has been attending local events such as ’Que on the Yazoo, Stars & Stripes and the Museum of the Mississippi Delta’s re-opening celebration.
She has also been shadowing Lucas, who is the sales and marketing coordinator at the Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau, which sponsors the local Miss Hospitality pageant.
“She’s been accompanying me to different CVB events to learn more about the industry and the ins and outs of the tourism industry,” said Lucas.
Griffin’s been a quick study, too.
“I’ve learned that when people come and stay at our hotels or eat at our Greenwood restaurants, that money goes right back to Greenwood and to the CVB,” she said. “I’ve also learned that each city in the state is unique, and they all bring in revenue in different ways.”
Griffin has also spoke at her church, at a Girl Scouts banquet and to reporters at the Greenville TV stations. This has helped her a lot, since public speaking was once out of her comfort zone.
In May, Griffin met with the other contestants for the first time in Hattiesburg. She also learned two dance routines that she will perform with the other contestants during the pageant.
Griffin found her evening gown on the way back from the Miss Hospitality meet-up.
“We were on the way back from our first big meeting in Hattiesburg,” said Griffin.
The two stopped in the Jackson area for burgers at Five Guys, and Griffin’s mother, Annette, suggested they drop in a local dress shop to look. She and her mom were set on a black dress for the pageant, although Lucas advised against that color choice.
At the dress shop, Griffin tried on a blue dress and a black dress, which she really liked.
Then, she tried on a red dress.
“When I put it on, I knew it was my dress,” she said. “It popped, sparkled and made a statement.”
When Annette saw her daughter in the red dress, she began crying.
“When she saw me, my mom said, ‘This is your dress,’” said Griffin. “My mom didn’t even cry at my graduation, but she did when she saw me in my dress.”
Griffin has been getting help on applying makeup from her aunt and Lucas, but she said she is planning on a “natural look” for the pageant. She is still deciding whether to wear her hair up or down, but she has several ideas for her hair that she is trying out.
“Before the pageant, I threw on Nike shorts, T-shirts and tennis shoes,” she said. “I didn’t even wear earrings.”
Although she is enjoying the glam part of the pageant, Griffin said what she like the most is getting more connected with Greenwood and its residents, including the little girls who look up to her.
“I learned that if you take time to stop and smell the roses, there’s so much you can do in Greenwood,” said Griffin. “You can go to the museum, downtown or you can follow the Blues Trail. There’s always events like Stars & Stripes, ’Que on the Yazoo, Bikes, Blues & Bayous and 300 Oaks. We have so much going on. My favorite thing is the trolley rides during Christmas time. We have so many hidden treasures in Greenwood. It’s a beautiful place.”
• Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7233 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
