Lincoln University’s Jesse Canamore and Yessnia Austin Dixon Competing in the Inaugural Mister & Miss HBCU Competition in Charlotte, NC

The 22nd Mister Lincoln University, Jesse Canamore, and the 100th Miss Lincoln University, Yessnia Austin Dixon.

Lincoln University is proud to announce that the 22nd Mister Lincoln University, Jesse Canamore, and the 100th Miss Lincoln University, Yessnia Austin Dixon, will be representing the University at the inaugural Mister & Miss HBCU Competition in Charlotte, North Carolina, January 21-26, 2025.

The event, which marks the crowning of the 21st Mister and the first-ever Miss HBCU, celebrates the excellence, culture and leadership of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

The 100th Miss Lincoln University, Yessnia Austin Dixon, and the 22nd Mister Lincoln University, Jesse Canamore, at the Homecoming 2024 Coronation, "Diamonds and Pearls ... A Moment in Time.”

The Mister HBCU Kings’ Leadership Conference and Competition, which originated at Lincoln University in 2004, laid the foundation for what has now become a widely recognized event. The first competition took place in February 2005, founded by Mrs. Benecia Spencer Williams, Lincoln University’s former vice president for advancement. Since then, the event has expanded significantly, and in 2015, Dr. Jerome Offord, Jr. '93 took over as the coordinator, later incorporating it into a nonprofit organization in 2016.

Yessnia Austin Dixon, the 100th Miss Lincoln University.

The mission of the competition is to enhance leadership skills among students at HBCUs by providing a platform to develop as spokespersons, role models and leaders within their campuses and communities. The newly added Miss HBCU competition is a milestone in the history of the event, offering a stage for women to showcase their leadership as well.

During the competition, participants will be judged in Oratory and Talent, with the top scorers advancing to the final competition on Saturday, January 25. Preliminary rounds for Mister HBCU will be held on Thursday, January 23, at 6 p.m., and for Miss HBCU on Friday, January 24, at 6 p.m.

Jesse Canamore, the 22nd Mister Lincoln University. 

Several Lincoln University alumni are serving on the Mister and Miss HBCU Competition council, including:

• Dr. Jerome Offord '93, President and CEO
• Octoria B. Ridenhour '17, Endless Reign Conference Director
• Amanda S. Andrews '12 and '14, Competition Co-Director
• Jonathan M. Jackson, Chief Branding Officer
• Paul Leon, Chief of Staff

As official student representatives for Lincoln University, Canamore and Dixon have maintained high ethical standards while acting as spokespersons, role models and recruiters for the University.

Lincoln University is excited to support Jesse Canamore and Yessnia Austin Dixon as they showcase their leadership and represent the University at this historic event. We wish our Blue Tigers the best of luck!

 The 100th Miss Lincoln University, Yessnia Austin Dixon, and the 22nd Mister Lincoln University, Jesse Canamore, at the Homecoming 2024 Coronation. 

For questions about the competition, contact Dr. Jerome Offord at jerome@misterhbcu.org.