Actress Erica Gimpel will host the 29th Little Miss African American Scholarship Pageant on Sunday, August 6, at 3 p.m., at Barnsdall Art Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd, in Los Angeles. 

Erica Gimpel (Courtesy photo)

 Producer/Choreographer Lisa Ruffin and pageant founder emphasized, “Little Miss African American (LMAA) is a first and foremost an educational program cleverly disguised in a pageant format whose mission is dedicated to the intellectual success of young African American girls.”  

Lisa Ruffin and pageant princesses gather for a photo. (Courtesy photo)

 For the past 29 years, dozens of girls between the ages of 6 to 12 years old have participated in the program and hundreds of scholarships have been awarded, noted Ruffin.  

“While some of them come from strong supportive families, the majority of them come from under-served, single-family homes.  The pageant provides an early introduction to the arts and training in public speaking, while promoting individual creativity and stimulating a heightened cultural understanding,” she said. 

 At this year’s event, more than $10,000 in scholarships and prizes will be awarded. To learn more or purchase tickets, visit littlemissafricanamerican.org.