Plant City’s Jada Brown named Miss Tennessee Volunteer on July 29

By Cierra Craft

Plant City native Jada Brown was crowned Miss Tennessee Volunteer on Saturday, July 29. A student at Lane College, Brown was crowned Miss Lane College in March 2023 before representing the historically black college in the state competition.

Brown will hold the title of Miss Tennessee Volunteer through 2024 and receive an $11,000 scholarship. During the talent portion of the competition, Brown demonstrated her talent for American Sign Language (ASL) with an interpretation of the song “This is Me” from the 2017 film The Greatest Showman.

According to the Jackson Sun, Brown is the first Black contestant to win the crown of Miss Tennesee Volunteer. In that interview, she said she believes her involvement in the pageantry has brought awareness to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

In the Jackson Sun interview, Brown said: “I have so much planned. My platform is called The Beauty Within Our Hands, teaching American Sign Language, and I started it because my stepsister is deaf, so seeing all the problems she went through, it really inspired me to want to teach our youth the importance of American Sign Language and why it’s used.”

Brown is no stranger to the pageant stage. She was a 2019 court member for the Florida Strawberry Festival with Queen Kendall Gaudens and the 2018 Cover Girl for the Strawberry Crest High School Calendar Girl. She competed in the Hillsborough County Fair Harvest Queen pageant, Florida Strawberry Festival Junior Royalty, and the former Keel Farms Blueberry Festival pageant. Brown, a talented volleyball player, was a member of the Strawberry Crest girls’ volleyball team and the Lane College 2021 team.

This Month’s Personality should be “EASY TO FIGURE OUT” if you are a TRUE PLANT CITIAN!!!

He was a highly sought after caterer for decades,and was known for his mouthwatering barbecue. He had the Heart of a Servant. He and his wife could be found bringing meals to neighbors, friends and shut-ins.

Although never having a formal education himself, he strived to put his wife and three children through college. He worked hard and denied himself, so his family could have the opportunities that he never had. He served our country in the Armed Forces. He constantly gave his time to those in need and mentored so many. He AND his family made quite a respected name in our town through hard work and dedication. If you asked someone about this Month’s Personality, they would probably say:

“Despite “not having a degree on paper,” this patriarch “had a Ph.D. in life.”

MAGAZINE! 813-707-8783

The first 3 people to guess the correct person will win a PRIZE!!!! (The TRUE identity will be given in next month’s FOCUS Magazine)