Debutantes come out at seventh annual Lorain County 'Vision of Beauty' Cotillion

NEW RUSSIA TWP. — After months of hard work and preparation, nine young beauties were presented Saturday by the Lorain County Section of the National Council of Negro Women at the seventh annual Vision of Beauty Cotillion. Cotillions are social events, where young women or "debutantes" are formally introduced to society. This year's event, at a packed Lodge of New Russia Township, featured debutantes Brianna Benjamin, Alesha Simone' Brown, Alina Deus, Jocelyn Eldemire, Desaray Ewing, Nevaeh Jackson, Aleyah Smith, Cherish Tillman and Omaryanna Ward. The young women spend months taking courses on life skills, communications, financial literacy and how to have healthy relationships. They learn dance and etiquette for the evening, for their debuts in their white dresses. When the nine young women were crowned Saturday night, the room broke out in applause and cheers. The young men who escorted the debutantes for the evening were Annas Bolarinwa, Christian Ensley, Eli Henry, Isaiah Hill, Aamir Johnson-Smith, Gabe Piroch, Zavier Stephens, Tavion Swain, Kaleb Washington and Dekarion Wimberly. Wimberly read a poem he wrote as an "ode to Black women." It called them "brave, kind, strong and resilient." The Vision of Beauty Cotillion is a "culturally derived family enrichment program," Regan Phillips, 1st vice president of the county NCNW, said Saturday. Being a cotillion debutante is a commitment, which Phillips said "is a skill these days." The Lorain County Section of the NCNW raises money and takes donations throughout the year to support the program. This makes sure the young women and their families aren't burdened by the cost. The Vision of Beauty Cotillion has had participation from 185 families over the past seven years, Phillips said. Thomas Bowen, an Elyria native and former senior adviser to President Joe Biden, told the crowd the Cotillion was about young ladies having their coming out "on one equal footing," no matter their family situation or background. "We ought to applaud that," he said. "You can't lose, when people lift you up." Bowen then quoted "a preacher I follow, a prophet" — Pulitzer Prize and Grammy winning rapper Kendrick Lamar: "If God got us ... we gonna be all right." "Debutantes ... escorts ... Mom and Dad, you gonna be all right. We gonna be all right," he said. "The world is full of folk who are going to remember these children's names," Phillips said. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.