North Carolina now has a new Mister Black North Carolina, Spencer McKan Heath III.  This 20-yr-old Hampton University Junior is a Strategic Communications major with a double minor in Leadership Studies/Military Science with a concentration in Pre-Law.

Winning the crown has been a dream since high school for this young man.  In an intense competition, Heath took on the categories of interview, athletic wear, formal wear, talent, and question & answer to showcase his substance. Being raised in Charlotte, North Carolina by way of Queens, New York, Heath has always seen positive black male representation through Mister Black North Carolina. He remembers growing up noticing the huge differences they made in the community. Now he plans on helping the community as other kings have done in the past for the state of North Carolina.

Helping others has always been a passion and Heath has the college background to prove it. From the time he stepped on the campus of Hampton University he has served the campus in positions such as Mister Freshman 2015-2016 and Sophomore Class President 2016-2017. He is a member of the New Era Modeling Troupe along with being a brother of the prestigious Beta Gamma chapter of Phi Beta Sigma.

When HBCU Buzz sat down and talked with Heath he expressed his feelings of the very moment he was announced king. “It felt surreal. I felt like all my hard work paid off,” Heath told us. Under a lot of pressure, the night before competition Heath swiftly changed his talent to be more fitting for the audience.

That rocky moment did not affect his performance though. Having a solid platform, he knew that he would lay out all he prepared for leaving everything on the stage. Now, Heath is the Mister Black North Carolina. “Spencer dedicated many hours during pageant weekend to perfecting the opening number, his talent, and walks,” stated his fraternal brother Caleb Cuthbertson, Mr. Black Greensboro 2018.

Cuthbertson continued, “During any “free time,” he could be found on stage or any available space running through the counts over and over.”

Spencer’s platform is “The Gentlemen Project, revitalizing the idea of the classic gentleman!” It consists of three initiatives, K.I.N.G.S., a partnership with Community In Schools, and black mental health.

K.I.N.G.S. stands for Knowledge Igniting National Gentlemen Success. Heath’s goal is to promote positive male role models for young students striving for success. He plans on partnering with HBCU Kings with the goal of adopting three mentees. The existence of this initiative is to further develop the student by having older kings pour knowledge, support, and wisdom into their mentee.

“From the small amount of time that I’ve known Spencer, he has shown himself to be a true king dedicated to the service of others. Not pressed about the position he serves nor the accolades he would receive, he represents the true values of a king. With that being said, I’m honored to pass the torch down to none other,” stated the former Mister Black North Carolina 2017, Naim Fate.

This is not the first experience Spencer has had with a pageant. Spencer has orchestrated a production before. “I met Spencer when I entered the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity scholarship pageant. He went above and beyond for my pageant sisters and I,” stated his friend and pageant mentee, Ashley Green.

Heath also will focus on helping promote African American student success that focuses on attending college and having resources to complete the degree program. The last but not least leg of his platform is black mental health. It will focus on targeting issues facing the African American community and ensuring positive mental health and exposure.

At a young age of 20, Heath is stepping into the North Carolina area heavily not only wearing a crown but teaching others how to pick theirs up and make the most out of life.