By Myra Bean

While Maddie Sullivant was being crowned Miss Magnolia State last weekend, the first Mrs. Magnolia from Panola County was turning over the crown in her division.

Keyshaw Taylor,35, of Batesville became the first African-American queen of the Magnolia State Pageant when she began her reign in November of last year. The pageant, in its 20th year, has  four divisions – junior, teen, Miss, and Mrs.

She was the first Panola County woman to win any division.

Taylor spoke of her reign as Mrs. Magnolia State. “It was a very, very full year for a mother of three and wife,” she said. She and husband Keithon have three children, Kingston, Karis, and Karson.

Karis has been competing in pageants since she was 4-year-old and loves it, according to her mother.

She won the Tiny Miss Maroon and White at Pope School last year and was top 10 out of 30 girls at the Little Miss Magnolia State pageant this July.

“She loves pageants and it is a great way for her to show her personality and build confidence. So, yes, I encourage her to continue what she enjoys and most of all have fun doing it ,regardless of the outcome,” Taylor said.

Her job as Mrs. Magnolia State including making  monthly appearances at the Mississippi Blood Services drives, coaching  several young women for upcoming pageants, judging pageants, and raising funds Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. It has not been all work, though, as she and the other beauty queens from 2017 enjoyed a summer cruise to Cancun, Mexico.

She made appearances at Christmas parades, directed her first Magnolia State Preliminary Pageant in Panola county, crowned the children in July at the Little Miss and Little Mr. Magnolia State pageant, participated in ribbon cutting ceremonies with Panola Partnership; participated in fundraisers for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Vicksburg Animal Shelter, and promoted women’s health with the physicians and nurse practitioners at the Women’s Clinic in Panola County.

She also obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in nursing while juggling mom, wife, and beauty queen duties. She is director of the labor and delivery department at Panola Medical Center, and recently joined Batesville’s Junior Auxiliary.

She helped Maddie Sullivant prepare for this year’s pageant, offering advice the new Miss Magnolia State took to heart. “I told her to just go in there and be yourself,” Taylor said.

Taylor’s not finished with the beauty pageant business just yet. The next huge event in her life is participating in the Mrs. Mississippi pageant in 2019 which leads the winner to the Mrs. America pageant.