Since founding the Miss Black USA Pageant in 1986, Karen Arrington has mentored over 1,000 young women, helping them get into top medical schools, land major modeling and recording contracts, secure life-changing grants, and more. In addition to running the pageant, Karen is a philanthropist and humanitarian.
L. Malaika Cooper is a writer, travel professional, and occasional comic. A journalist by vocation, she has written for major publications. Her short stories have also been published in various anthologies, and she is working on an urban fantasy trilogy. A Washington DC native, she currently lives in Houston, Texas.