The world lost a beautiful, vibrant and inspirational woman on Thursday as Elaine Green Luke, founder of Sista’s Uplifting Sista’s, the organization that put on the Miss Big, Beautiful and Bold pageant in Binghamton lost her earthly life, but gained her heavenly wings.

Luke started Sista's Uplifting Sista's in 2010 and the Miss Big, Beautiful and Bold pageant quickly followed. After hitting a massive low in her life, Luke made a promise to God that if He helped her learn to love and like herself that she would make it her mission to help other women learn to do the same. And she did.

Luke genuinely believed in the power of positive thinking and her positivity was contagious. Luke would often share her thoughts with her Facebook followers. In one of her last Facebook statuses, Luke wrote in part, “Believe it or not there are people in life who still believe in being positive and creating love, when you come across them appreciate them. So on that note I am a favored sista, watch me pray, watch me stand, watch me overcome all the obstacles that the enemy has placed in my way, and watch me win. I am here, I am his, I am one of the King's Daughters and so are you. Be smart, be bold, be unique, and chase your dreams.”

Luke didn’t have an easy life. She was married, but widowed at only 30-years-old. Luke was mom to 11 kids, eight of them adopted and 16 kids called her grandma. Luke had a less than perfect childhood and suffered years of abuse at the hands of a former boyfriend, but she rose above and changed the course of her life. As a matter of fact, Luke celebrated her 50th birthday by receiving a college degree from SUNY Broome. Luke believed that anyone, no matter their age was able to make a better life and she was on a mission to share that news with anyone who would listen.

Luke and I shared a special, mutual friend in Mary Roper. It was actually Roper who introduced me to this extraordinary woman and when I reached out to her after learning of Luke's death, Roper told me, "In many people's eyes Elaine had everything going against her---poverty, learning disabilities, the death of her husband at a young age, the death of a child, physical and emotional abuse, race and size discrimination. What many would see as obstacles only made her stronger and gave her more determination to make a difference in the lives of others, especially those who have gone through similar situations. Her daily messages of inspiration uplifted thousands.”

Luke was in North Carolina when she passed and her family would like for her to be  brought back to Binghamton and laid to rest here. If you’d like to contribute financially to help make that happen, please call Peggy Norman at 607-239-8998.

She [Elaine] had a heart of gold. No, I take that back. Gold has a value. Elaine's heart was huge and priceless. -Mary Roper

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