 I'm welcome to Sister Power. I'm Sharon Thomas Yarbrough. Ms. Frances Wilson of Kapolei is our 2019-2020 Miss Black Hawaii of the Miss Black and Natural Pageant. Originally from Fresno, California, Frances has made her way across the country as well as to several other countries taking on various opportunities, such as the Disney College Program, all the way to the White House where she worked as part of the White House Internship Program for the Obama Administration in the spring of 2015. She is currently involved with various community organizations and is focused on her master's program in criminal justice. Frances Wilson, welcome to Sister Power. Thank you so much for having me. So glad to have you here. And don't you look beautiful with your beautiful crown and your sash. Thank you. It says Miss Black. Miss Black and Natural of the State of Hawaii. Of the State of Hawaii. I didn't even know we had that type of pageantry here. Yeah, so what happens with these larger pageants is a lot of the times they are off-island but they will have representatives who live on the island or who live somewhere else and then we compete on a national scale, usually on the mainland. So tell us about your journey. I mean, because I've read your resume, which is just fabulous for a young woman, you know, like yourself. Tell us a little about your accolades and tell us about that journey becoming Miss Black of Hawaii. Of course. So stories don't always start out as, you know, you start in a pageant and then you win and everything's great. My first few pageants, I was just making friends and learning how to walk in pageants and just gaining experience. So I didn't always win every single pageant, even though I have multiple titles. So that's really important for girls and other women who are aspiring to model or do pageants is that, yeah, you may not win that first one, but that may open the door to something else. So that was kind of my journey doing one pageant in 2008, which was Miss Black Sacramento when I lived there at the time. And then it just sprouted into signing up for any other pageant that I could be in or auditioned for and it opened up a world of opportunities. You know, you spoke about winning and losing. And I always carry this with me. It says, I never lose. I either win or I learn by Nelson Mandela. Exactly. And that's exactly it. You reframe your setbacks into opportunities. Exactly. And now you have experience. Go to the next thing. And now it propels you forward because you have more experience, more power, more connections. Go to the next level. Wow. So, you know, what I'm loving when we had this conversation is that you worked at the White House. Yes. During the Obama administration. We need some feel good about this impeachment going on right now. Tell us some, okay. Tell us some good stories. And we have a picture here with you and President Barack Obama. And you are the lady behind President Barack Obama in the red. Yes. So that was a picture of about 140 interns. I think we had over 5,000 applicants or something like that. It's a big pool every year. But I would encourage anyone to apply. It's very competitive. But just believe in yourself. Put your best foot forward. But yeah, I was an intern spring 2015 application process goes back about a year. So I applied summer 2014. And I got the call. I think I was in Israel. I was on my way back from Israel. And they were like, you start on Monday. So I had to do an Israel. I was flying back from Israel. And I was in Fresno, my hometown for like a day. And I got the email and it said, basically, I had to be in DC on Sunday. So I had friends and stuff who like help me get a plane ticket and a place to stay for the first week. And it was a ball. But it was a life changing experience. I've done so many things that you could only do once. I mean, the White House has a bowling alley that you can go to. They have all these team sports that you can partake in. Of course, there's volunteer opportunities. White House lawn and get to be with the Easter egg hunt and doing all that and meeting all these people. So and then there's there's just all kinds of stuff to do. So I would encourage anyone to apply for any administration. Oh, oh, any administration. All right. Okay. The support of your administration. Absolutely. That's a good way of looking at it. The support of your administration. All right. All right. So now the process, did you have a chance to meet the first lady? Yes. She's amazing. I love you. Yes, I've taken pictures with her. You get opportunities to meet everyone. I mean, from the president to vice president to the caterers and the photographers. You meet everyone in these opportunities. So she's amazing and is authentic. As you see her on TV. She's that way in real life. Just feels like I'm talking to you. Feels like I'm talking to her. Yeah, I like that. Just keep it real. She's very authentic. Very nice. Wow. Wow. Wow. That's it. I can just talk about this all day long. Oh, yeah. Let's move forward. We'll talk about her book becoming later. And you know, we had a book signing here. We meaning sisters in power in Hawaii with the book. She personally Michelle Obama personally autographed becoming for a tea that they hosted. And we auctioned it off for scholarship. That's wonderful. She does stuff like that all the time. Isn't she great? She's so wonderful. Well, she wasn't there. You know, she wasn't there but she did personally. She always makes sure that she's there in spirit. Yeah, she does things like that. So wonderful. You know, we can just go on and on and on. This could be the Michelle Obama show. I'm telling you, my next question to you. Who are your heroes in real life? My heroes, I would say the biggest one that pops into my mind is probably my sister. Oh, tell me about your sister. Yeah, my real sister. Yeah. She works really hard. And she supports everybody and all their visions and everything. And yeah, she's in California right now. So we're not too close in terms of proximity, but we always talk like that. So he's really supportive. Yeah, well, California is only five hour flight. Yeah, that's like it's not really the mainland. It's like the second island because it's so close. It's like a five hour flight. But you mentioned Israel and you converted to Judaism. Yes, tell me about that. I've only read about Sammy Davis, Julia. Yeah, there's a lot of African American Jews sprinkled out the diaspora, but that was a long process. Now, officially, mine maybe only took about a year and some change, but there is a lot that goes on in between that. So I think it took about three years, but I was really interested in Judaism and the culture and the way of life and the freedom that it brought me at the time. And so I studied under a rabbi, Rabbi Ellie Shabba, for a long time, who's my personal rabbi, and I still talk with her on occasion. She is in Los Angeles, which is where I did my mikvah, which is kind of like a baptism. It's a spiritual bath that you do. It was a turning point. It's a closure to your conversion process. She did that with me. She brought me to that process in Los Angeles. Wow. Yeah, but I've been to Israel three times. I've gone on Taglet Birthright, which is a birthright trip for Jews 18 to generally 26 years old. And it's their free immersion trip. It's a gift trip to experience Israel. And you go up and down the country for 10 days. It's wild. You meet everyone. Some people meet the love of their lives. Some people meet best friends. And they end up going back like I did. Like I went back to teach in Israel a few times. So that's wonderful. And you've lived a full life already at such a young age. I just sign up for a lot of stuff. That's what you got to do. Be adventurous. Be adventurous and go for it. Right. You have to make yourself available to different opportunities, because it's not just going to be where you live. You got to be flexible and just have your juicy case. Live your best life now. Exactly. That's what I say. What is the quality you most like in a person? Authenticity. I know it may sound cliché, but it's really important when you're looking to, especially here on Island, we're all about family and networking and stuff like that. And so you want to be around authentic people. And I have the pleasure of having really good friends who are very authentic. And it's not just always the positive side of, oh, girl, you got it. This will be fine. And you know, it's those times where they'll tell you, I don't think you should have done that. Now, that's really important. Interquerty and honesty. I like the truth. I prefer to have the truth. And I know you're really in my corner. Right. Because then I know I'm surrounded by level-headed people. And it's not just people that are encouraging me for another agenda. They really want to make sure that my best self and that I'm going to be okay in the long run. And so you've got to have best friends who are authentic and can see past what you're trying to do in the moment. And who, your girlfriends especially, they will hold you up when you're down and they will encourage you and motivate you. It's so important to have girlfriends. I think from the moment we set foot in this country, sisterhood has been really important for Black women. Absolutely. Right. That's generally how we've moved to the next point in our lives. And I think it's still relevant today. With the onset of social media and like other things, being able to be in touch with other communities is very important. But it's still very important to be in touch with those who are similar to you. You know, I was just reading yesterday. I saw this article and it said FOMO. And I said, well, what does that mean? And someone says, fear of missing out. Social media has come up with this. Oh, yeah. And I said, the word fear, you know, that's, I don't resonate with that. Yeah. But there's so much out there now. You really have to be level headed and know yourself. Right. Because what's happening on social media is people are posting all kinds of things when they're at their best and they're at their worst, but a lot of time people are posting when they're at their best and you're comparing it to your worst. Right. And so you feel like you're always missing out or you could be doing better when it's not always the case. And so I just think with me, I don't have any social media accounts. Oh, you're the first. I don't have any social media accounts. Okay. I use two, but it's just, you know, call me or text me or something. I really don't want to scroll past all the ads and all the drama and stuff. You know, that's what I admired about you. My, our mutual friend, Jean. Yeah, Jeanie with First Financial Credit Union. Yes. And I said, I want to meet this lady. She sent me a picture of you. What did you do? You picked up the phone and called me. Exactly. And people don't understand that personal touch of reaching out gets you far ahead of the game than just emailing and texting. Yeah, exactly. Like I heard the frilliness in your voice, the passion about Miss Hawaii. Thank you. Thank you. And I think it's important too, especially with small children, to keep them off of social media. It looks really cute. And I love seeing pictures and videos of cute kids on the internet. But I grew up in a time where I could go through my awkward phases and not be live on something and kids don't really have that option to consent to that nowadays. And I think it's also really important for their social development that they do this, right? And they talk to each other because we're getting away from that and people are becoming less and less connected even though we're more connected. So it just makes things more difficult, especially for children. I don't recommend social media. Well, we're going to talk more about Miss Black Hawaii will become back. All right. Hi, I'm Rusty Kamori, host of Beyond the Lines. I was the head coach for the Punejo Boys varsity tennis team for 22 years. And we're fortunate to win 22 consecutive state championship. This show is based on my book, which is also titled Beyond the Lines. And it's about leadership, creating a superior culture of excellence, achieving and sustaining success, and finding greatness. If you're a student, parent, sports or business person, and want to improve your life and the lives of people around you, tune in and join me on Mondays at 11 a.m. as we go Beyond the Lines on Think Tech Hawaii. Aloha. Hi, I am Yukari Kunisue, host of Konnichiwa, Hawaii, Think Tech Hawaii's Japanese program, broadcasting every Monday from 2 p.m. I usually invite a guest in Japanese language community who does interesting things, and I'd like to share stories with you guys. Please tune in and listen to Konnichiwa, Hawaii. Welcome back to Sister Power. I'm Sharon Thomas Yarbrough, and we are speaking with Miss Black Hawaii, Francis Wilson. Hello. Hello, hello. Back again. Yes. And I want the audience, I want our viewers to see some of your beautiful pictures when you were, oh, look at that. Tell us about that picture, Francis. Yes, so that was from the Miss Buntu pageant a few years ago, which is an African diaspora pageant. And I was the representative for the United States. The United States? Yes. So I got the big crown. That's beautiful. Was it heavy? Yes. Oh my god, let's look at another one. Oh, you go girl. That says Slay, Slay, Slay. Yeah, I had a friend who was a great photographer, and she took some of those very nice pictures in Florida. Okay, that was in Florida. Oh, that's beautiful. Tell us about that one. Yeah, so the previous picture was from Tel Aviv. I was actually teaching in Israel, so that was from Tel Aviv Visit, but this is from Miss Central Valley in 2016 when I competed. Wow, so how long have you been competing? Since 2008. 2008 was my first pageant, Miss Black Sacramento. Is that where you're from? You're from Fresno? I'm originally from Fresno, California, but I bounced around, as you can see, a few times. And so when I go somewhere new and I'm learning about the city, I think one of the best ways, once you learn, is to compete in a pageant. Oh, I like that. Because then you can network. Pageants teach you so many things about how to conduct yourself, how to do onstage questions, how to speak in front of people. They offer you so many things if you plug it, if you plug yourself in to the pageant world. What would you tell your younger self? Have fun with it. I think that there were so many times, you know, doing the Disney internship, working at the White House and just competing. I was very competitive, very type A. I just wanted to get to the next level, but I never stopped to smell the roses, right? And so that's one of the things I wish I had done more of, was to make more friends in those times, to take more pictures, just be more involved, I think would have really helped me a lot. Just to be able to look back on those pictures and things like that. So even in the White House, are you friends with any of your... One. One? One person. Okay, that's all you to it. You gotta imagine, these are wonderful people from all over the country, very competitive people. They're the cream of the crop wherever they came from. And so you get all those people in an environment such as the White House, and you know, you can imagine. I can only imagine. So I made a very good friend who I still keep in touch with, and she's wonderful, and I'm glad I met her, and you know, that was it. Okay, all right. What is your dream job? So I have my dream job. I actually just finished my Montessori certification. My credential is in preschool Montessori Education. I'm not currently working at a Montessori preschool right now, but that being my dream job and that being said, I know that there are a lot of other teachers, whether it be preschool, elementary, or high school, who that is their dream job. That's the career they want. It just can't support their life, whether it be in the region here on Island or in California, Texas, wherever. We all have the same issues as teachers, is that we just don't have backing, and it can turn your dream job into a not-so-happy dream. Yeah, my mother was a teacher and then later on a principal. So I come from a family of teachers, and our daughter, Kimberly Ann, is a teacher in California, Northern California. So good luck with that. I mean, we need more teachers. We really do. Also, it's important to diversify your experience with your degree program, because you need something else that might supplement your dream, right? That's important. Go after your dream, but also have something concrete to support you in the midst of all that. Oh, it was so important. What's next in the horizon for you? I don't know. Maybe some real estate investments. I like that. We'll see. I got to pass my exams first. Okay, well, we have plenty of sisters in part in Kavaya's sister power. We have a network of various people in various fields. So you just let me know what you need and what you want, who you need to mentor you. Thank you. Just pick up the phone like you did before. Of course. Okay, great. What is the most important issue your generation is facing? Climate change. Definitely. It's unlike anything we've ever faced. I mean, each generation from the greatest generation onwards has their challenges, whether it be wars or natural disasters, things like that. But it's getting more and more apparent that we need to do something serious. I know that we can't reverse a lot of the damage that's been done, but we can try to stop it from getting much, much worse. And I know, speaking to other millennials, this is one of the most important things that we're facing besides the economy, because it really dictates, do we want to have a family? Do I want to bring kids into a world where they may not have clean water or air or something like that? It seems a little dark, but these are real things that we have to think about now that we didn't have to think about 100, 200 years ago. Isn't that something? Each generation, we have different challenges. What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment? My greatest accomplishment was being where I am right now. Oh, in the moment. It took a lot of getting here, and it took a lot of getting here to be here and be present, because I used to not be present. Like I said, when I was interning at the White House and doing all these other things, it's very hard for me to be present instead of looking towards the next thing. And so I think moving to Hawaii and being in such a beautiful place like this and having everything come together finally is probably my best accomplishment, just being balanced now. I like that. Balance is the accomplishment. And you can get that at any time. You can get that right now. You can get it later. You don't need to wait until your degree or until your kids are in school or until they're out of school or this or that. You can find it right now. You're very wise. A wise woman, a phenomenal woman, I must say. Thank you. Who do you consider your greatest mentor and why? It's going to be a little strange, but just take a journey with me. So I would say it's my future self. I had a dream that I met the best version of myself, and I was just like, you're a mate. And I didn't know how to get there. And she was like, just keep doing what you're doing. And that was my dream. And I was like, all right, because if you're already yourself, all you got to do is be your better self. So I kind of think about that dream at times when I'm inching towards a goal or something that I'm trying to do is you have a lot of other mentors around you if you're plugged in, and that's very important. But the most information that's most accurate is going to come from here. Each life we touch is a part of us. And that's what's important. That's why I said it's so important to be kind to one another. Right. And you're the professional at being you. I can't be a Sharon as you were Sharon. Okay. You can't be Francis like I'm Francis. Hello. Will you please let the people know, do you? I don't want to be anyone else. And I think it comes to liking yourself. Right. And taking a break from social media. Please take a break. Yeah. If it's a week or start off with two days and then try to work up to a week or something, but yeah, listen to yourself. Wow. I like that. Because I always say I want to be where I am appreciated, not tolerated. You took my quote. I was going to say that. Okay. But yeah, I agree. I agree. And I've learned that despite a lot of the internships and opportunities that I've had will put you in positions where you won't compromise you, but you'll do stuff that you don't want to do or you got to do some of the grunt work. And that's part of paying dues, but there's a difference when you're around people who are just using you, you know, and we got to get past the point to where we're being used. And you got to notice when you're being used. Are you doing this just to be a part or are you doing this because someone is trying to gain something from you? There's a lot of that people come into your life and being, you know, at my age, you know, you have a lot of wisdom. And I always tell people the gut feeling will tell you just listen to that feeling. Because we have a saying, but, you know, a long time ago, I heard you when you drove up. So I just smile and you think that you're, you know, you know who you are. Because you don't want to live in the past tense and say, I had that feeling, but I didn't listen to it. And then this happened, just listen. Just listen. What do you most value in your friends? Being there with me. Even, you know, I'm sure you have those friends where you have a conversation and then you got to go and continue that conversation like six months later. And it's like you guys never left each other. I love that because life happens and you can't just meet with each other every day or talk every day. I have a lot of friends who are in the military. My best friend is in the military. And we just can't get to each other that often. But when we do, it's important that we connect. Pick up where you left off. Yeah, I just value trust. That's like a foundation thing. That's important. There's some stuff that I don't mention, because it's like we got to have this baseline, right? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, there's got to be a baseline of a few things. Trust is definitely one of them. Do you have family here? No, I don't. I have a lot of friends here, but all my family is in California, Texas, those areas. I travel a lot. I've traveled to maybe over 40 places since I graduated high school. Just traveling every couple months. So this is the first time I've actually made a place my home. This is a record that I've been here for two years. This is a big deal. And I'm staying, so. Oh, good. I'm staying. I'm a resident. All right, you're going to be a Kama'aina. You're a Kama'aina already. I call Honolulu Hawaii the bus stop to heaven. It's just so beautiful. Yeah, when I got off my first flight here, I said, oh my gosh, this is amazing. It's so beautiful. And when I was taking the shuttle to my new apartment, I was living in Waikiki and I just see all these people like skateboarding and shopping and stuff. And it just blew my mind because this was at night. And I said, this is so alive. I still love Waikiki. Even though I don't live there, I love to go there. Well, friends, before we close, tell us something about yourself that we have not discussed. There's something that you want to let the world know your next step, your next goal, your vision, your mission. Oh, wow. I would say keep in perspective the past. That's really important to give you engage where you are and where you're going to go because if you don't really appreciate the past where we as African Americans have come from, then it almost puts like a spoiled filter on you because you're like, oh, things are great. They have always been this way. We have our things that we deal with in this modern day sense, in this contemporary context. But I think thinking back to the reconstruction era and onward is really important to keep that in mind of the accomplishments that we've had here. Well, Francis Wilson, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I just have a feeling that we're going to hear and see you more in higher places. You're a phenomenal woman and thank you so much. Thank you for having me. You're welcome. On behalf of ThinkTech Hawaii and Sister Power, thank you for spending part of your day with us. Aloha.