Karen Arrington

Karen Arrington defines black women empowerment. Empowerment Coach , Author, International Philanthropist, Founder of Miss Black USA Pageant, Co Founder of Diabetes Awareness Day in West Africa, Goodwill Ambassador to The Gambia and Sierra Leone, and NAACP Image Award Honoree. Seen on national media publications and networks including BET, The Washington Post, BlogTalkRadio, Lifetime, and JET. Living her life with absolute purpose. Achieving greatness, mentoring women, being an humanitarian giving back to others, while creating platforms to elevate and celebrate black women. Please enjoy our interview.

Tammy Reese:

What was the process of beginning The Black Miss USA Pageant like?

Karen Arrington:

The process in one instance was pretty straight forward. I gave myself permission to do it. I was also inspired. I grew up as the daughter of civil rights activists. They inspired me to use whatever talents I had to give back. Having participated in a pageant myself and being inspired by the other young black sisters who I was competing with, not against. I realized that pageants could be a platform that elevates and celebrates black women who I didn't see in mainstream media and remains today invisible. Especially those strong, intelligent, beautiful black women that I was constantly surrounded by like my mom and her friends. For me it was important to be able to create a platform that really celebrated and elevated black women and I just decided one day that there was a void and I could easily fill the gap so I decided to do it.

Tammy Reese:

How has the pageant made an impact?

Karen Arrington:

It's been amazing! When I started the pageant I started with very little funding. Even today we are not heavily funded we are pretty much self funded. What I founded has been life changing. When we celebrated our 20th anniversary we held the pageant in The Gambia West Africa, it was transformative. We took 179 people in addition to the contestants and they came back and said I am redefined as who I am as a black woman having reconnected with our ancestral home. It was really powerful. Since that time we have awarded over 500,000 dollars to scholarships helping these young women to not only go to undergraduate school but to go to graduate school. 80 percent of our Queens are now either in grad school or professional school. This past year we had four contestants who are practicing attorneys. These young women are the Michelle Obama's of the world. They use the pageant not because they need to, they use it as a vehicle to amplify their voices. To be able to give back to their communities because what it does is it allows them not only win and compete on stage, but to win and compete in life. So they use these titles to get into doors that would not be open to them otherwise, and connect with influencers in their states. Many of our Queens now are best friends with some leaders in Congress and in the Senate. It's been a powerful movement. We don't really consider ourselves as a pageant but more so an empowerment organization that just happens to be a pageant.

Tammy Reese:

I understand that you are an Ambassador correct?

Karen Arrington:

Yes , I am actually an Goodwill Ambassador which is considered an Honorary Diplomat . I am Goodwill Ambassador for 2 countries, The Gambia and Sierra Leone. The first time I landed on African soil I knew I was home. I knew I found my North Star. I really felt a validation for the work I've been doing for the passed 20 years. While I was there I was heartbroken by the poverty I saw, especially the health care system. I learned that diabetes was the number one cause of death for the citizens. I went to a local hospital and I was devastated. At that moment I knew I had to do something. So when I came home and decided to talk about it with my physician while she was examining me she said "let's do something." We formed a team, went back and co founded the first Diabetes Awareness Day in The Gambia. We did a full day of testing. She brought all types of equipment, and her staff. We saved so many lives that day. His Excellency the President heard about it and appointed me as Goodwill Ambassador. It was an unbelievable honor but I felt it really wasn't about me. It was about a cause that was much bigger than me. It was confirmation that I'm walking in purpose.

Tammy Reese:

What inspired you to become an empowerment coach?

Karen Arrington:

Interesting enough I was an empowerment coach before empowerment coaching was a thing. I've been doing this work not realizing that is actually what you call it. It was fulfilling and it was rewarding because it was again about something bigger than me. It was a about being passed that torch from Rosa, from Harriet, and from all those women that inspired me that I read about. They did it. I felt I have been passed that torch.

"Once you bet on yourself and believe you can achieve."

- Karen Arrington

Tammy Reese:

Any challenges occur as an Author which resulted in victory?

Karen Arrington:

When I started, first of all it was like girl you are not getting a book deal, don't even think that. What I knew is that I needed to reach a larger audience to serve black women and humanity. What I did was write a book knowing I could use the rules and tips that I had used over the last 20 years coaching and mentoring young women. I constantly get questions via inbox and email looking for advice. I am always giving a lot of the same answers so I said let me just put it into a book. I decided I would write the book and self publish, in the process of writing the book I had some challenges so I hired a business writing coach. She helped me through that process. She held me accountable which helped me get a book done in 45 days. I needed a editor , she also does editing. She asked me would I be interested in a book deal. I was like you got to be kidding me, of course I would be interested. She introduced me to her publisher and they offered me a four book deal. Next thing I know I'm nominated for an NAACP Image Award for my book Your Next Level Life: 7 Rules of Power, Confidence, and Opportunity for Black Women In America. I won! It was surreal. Once you bet on yourself and believe you can achieve.

"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change." - Karen Arrington

Tammy Reese:

How has the pandemic shaped your life personally or professionally?

Karen Arrington:

The pandemic shaped my life in incredible ways, but not in a negative way and the reason is because Founding Miss Black USA remember I told you starting really with nothing and still until this day we receive very little funding. I believe as black people we always had to make something out of nothing. I just sort of mastered it. When anything such as a pandemic, a recession or anything like that hits for me I turn obstacles into opportunities. Turning lemons in lemonade. So when this came around I wasn't affected at all because I found all kinds of opportunities. I think sometimes if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change. My business has been booming. I have been working with other women who businesses have been also thriving. We wouldn't let it define us. We decided to take a look at what opportunities existed and there are tremendous opportunities right now. Even before the pandemic something I shared in my book is how to find all the money in grants you need. Every year billions of dollars are given away in grants and they go unawarded because people don't apply. I won several grants by just going online and applying with no paper work submitted. The next thing you know I get a letter in the mail with a check. The money is there the resources are there, but you got to apply. I turned this pandemic into profit not off of people, but because when this is done this would have allowed me to have a greater impact in my work. For example one initiative I have always been interested in is being able to provide free mental health counseling for women. I am looking to raise funds and utilize some of my funds I've received to be able to relieve some of that weight that black women carry and be able to offer free therapy sessions.

Tammy Reese:

How can someone begin to be mentored by you and have you become their empowerment coach?

Karen Arrington:

Great question! Over the years I've personally mentored over 1000 women and I can tell you there is not a single day that goes by over the years that I don't get an email from someone saying, "Mama K I'm getting married", "Mama K I just got engaged", or "Mama K I'm in labor." I'm always getting some life changing message from them. My life is overflowing with these young women and what they are doing in their lives. So it's really hard now for me to personally mentor every single person who emails. So what I decided to do was to write the book which is Your Next Level Life : 7 Rules of Power , Confidence, and Opportunity For Black Women In America. It's available on Amazon and every major book retailer. Also I created a new group which is a mentoring group called Boss Society you can sign up for it on my website karenarrington.com. It incorporates everything I teach or preach in my book about finding your tribe. It's so important to not just hang with people that have your problem but hang with people who have your solution. That is a real tool for success. In this group you got your tribe, you have access to my inner circle of powerful young women who are highly successful and want to see other young women successful as well.

Tammy Reese:

What is next for you?

Karen Arrington:

I would say what's next is I still have 3 more books to write. I am also still actively involved with Miss Black USA as CEO and Founder, we are working on the pageant. Doing media interviews like this which I love, I am able to reach more women to encourage and inspire them. I had some tv projects in the work, due to the pandemic they got cancelled and one I turned down. It's so good to be in a position to be able to say no, but continuing to inspire and empower young black women. I can't wait to get back to the motherland. They have been crushed and devastated by the pandemic. It's so much work there to be done and that is where my heart lies.

Tammy Reese:

What words of advice would you give our readers to keep pushing through the pandemic?

Karen Arrington:

I would say it's not over until its over. Stay encouraged and keep your head up so that your crown doesn't fall. Join Boss Society, my mentoring group where you will be elevated and celebrated. You will have sisters who will open the world for you. These sisters will elevate you in ways which help you discover your superpowers, gifts and talents so you can leverage them like crazy. In Boss Society we will help you navigate not just through the pandemic but through life so you can step into your calling and your purpose. We are thriving over here for a reason and we want to be able to share that with others. Look at your inner circle, you need 5 people who will elevate you , celebrate you and make room for you. When you begin to look at your inner circle figure out who adds value and who doesn't. Sometimes we have to love people from a far and remove people. Cause when you remove people you're just making room for someone who adds value and that's really powerful. I didn't have an attorney on my to do list and I never thought of having an attorney. Once I met Lisa who is my attorney she turned into a sister, a confidant, and a business partner. Same as my physician, I had no idea my personal physician would become my ride or die. That she would be the one traveling with me all around the world , and that she would be the one co founding the Diabetes Awareness program. So open up yourself and your mind for unlimited possibilities because they are there for you. I would love to help show you that and guide you.