Hello, hello, hello! This blog post may be what some would like to consider as divisive or controversial, but knowing whether a pageant advocates for you and your community is a topic that black women and women of color alike should take very seriously. As black American women competing in American pageants, the racist, discriminatory, and prejudiced history of our country is no secret, and it would be ignorant of us to think that our beloved pageant world is exempt from such history. In the Miss America organization alone, from its founding in 1921 as a swimsuit competition until about 1950, contestant contracts explicitly stated that contestants had to be of good health and of the white race. Additionally, although black women were not permitted to be on stage as contestants they were allowed to perform in minstrel-like opening numbers as slaves, as is documented in the 1923 production. This means that for about the first 30 years of its existence Miss America was segregated, which sparked the founding of Miss Black America in 1968.
The founding of historically black pageants like Miss Black America, Miss Black USA, and pageants associated with historically black colleges is attributed to the fact that black women were unable to participate in what would be considered today as mainstream pageant titles. Although I personally prefer not to compete in historically black pageants I cannot deny the legacy, opportunity, and sense of belonging they have created for black women across America.
The Miss America organization did not officially integrate until 1970 when Cheryl Brown, Miss Iowa, became the first black contestant. In 1980, Lencola Sullivan, Miss Arkansas, was the first black woman to make top five on the Miss America stage. In her Miss America class of 1983, Vanessa Williams was one of five black women. She has been said to recount a conversation with Miss North Carolina, Deneen Graham, about having a cross burned on her front yard because she was the first black Miss North Carolina….in the year of 1983 y’all.
I myself was one of a handful of black women in my Miss Georgia America class of 2017. I have only recounted a portion of one organization’s history. Imagine the stories of black women in other organizations, in other countries facing discriminatory and racist standards of beauty that limit our opportunities and force us to do twice the work for a slither of the recognition as our white sisters. Because the history speaks for itself, I have compiled a list of things that I think every black woman should look for to determine if a pageant organization is truly black girl friendly. Today’s technological and social media age in combination with the plethora of pageant options that we have, black women should be implored to pay and participate in pageant organizations that advocate for us on and off of the pageant stage and hold them to the same standard that they expect of us.
So what does it mean for a pageant organization to be black girl friendly? It means advocating for black women on and off the pageant stage. It means not using black women as poster girls to promote diversity within a system, and then throwing us away after you’ve plastered our faces on your program books and social media pages. It means checking in with your black contestants and titleholders when black people across America continue to be murdered by the new age police brutality that is rooted in Ku Klux Klan culture. It means celebrating and honoring your black titleholders outside of the month of February. It means having a diversity and inclusion specialist on the board so that you can understand and correct your discriminatory, microaggression behaviors. It means having sponsors that work with all textures and shades and have the portfolio to prove it. It means listening to and having a willingness to learn from the black girls that participate in your system so that you can understand our definition, history, hardship, and ascension in the pageant world and beyond. It means holding yourself and others accountable to racist behaviors and superiority complexes. It means actually putting in the work to build relationships with us so that you understand us and see us as the amazing women we are.
Now for the list…
History of black contestants, not just black winners
In order to determine if a pageant system truly values black women beyond contestant numbers, look at the history of black contestants they have had overall, not just the black girls that are winning. It is one thing to crown black girls, it is no secret that some systems and states strategize when they are going to crown black women to avoid critiques of racism and discrimination. But if black girls keep returning as contestants even if they don’t win or place that says a lot, and this is applicable to contestant numbers in general, race and ethnicity aside. It speaks to girls feeling truly valued and getting their money’s worth for their experience regardless of the head that the crown falls on. So implement reaching out to black girls that have competed and ask them about their experience and addition to black girls that have won. This way you will get a well-rounded view of what your year could look like if you win and the experience that you will have as a contestant if you don’t. Speak to girls from different years and compare their stories. If you speak to one girl who had an okay experience and then you speak to another girl from the year after her and she has awful things to say, pay attention to that, because that means that the caliber of experience from one year to the next has dropped. Pay attention to the improvements or lack thereof between the experiences that girls share with you. It is so important for pageant girls to talk with one another and seek out each other on pageant experiences and for recommendations.
Social justice transparency and advocacy
I know a lot of people like to keep politics and social justice out of the pageant world but I have to agree to disagree. Political affiliations and social justice views are rooted in one’s morals and beliefs. I like to know the morals and beliefs of people that I interact with so that I know the appropriate boundaries to set, if any at all, and so that I can set fair expectations of my interactions with people. How you vote, organizations that you support, marches and protests that you choose to be a part of or not be a part of are a reflection of what you believe, how you live, and in many ways how you think other people should live. Everyone may not agree with the side of the fence that you’re on but I think in the least we should be more transparent and have respectful conversations around these things. So when things are happening in the black community that are state and national issues or worthy of state and national attention, pay attention to how pageant systems are or are not engaging in these headlining topics. Is the engagement dismissive? Is it supportive? Is the pageant system acting like it doesn’t exist at all? How a pageant system and its leadership engage in news concerning and/or celebrating the black community will tell you if that system is right for you.
Leadership diversity
This one is very important. Most pageant organizations are comprised of boards at various levels and people in charge who have different jobs. All of these positions work together so that the organization can run smoothly. Pay attention to the diversity among the people holding these positions and the positions themselves. Does everyone look alike? Is the age range wide or narrow? What are the lifestyle and socioeconomic backgrounds? What is everyone’s pageant background and how has that shaped them into the leaders that they are today? Are these leaders holding each other accountable so that contestants can have the best experience possible? You want to pay attention to these details because it is never a good sign if only one person is in charge, because that means that they are not being held accountable to the faults of their own perspective. Diversity in leadership is the catalyst to progress because of the varying perspectives that come with it. You want to have the ability to, but also be under the leadership and the face of an organization run by people who can see a situation or opportunity from multiple perspectives and outcomes. When a skill like this is implemented it allows more and more people to feel seen, heard, and valued.
People who are eager to listen, learn, and help
It takes a lot of time and energy to assess your privilege and the ways that you get ahead in life that negatively impact someone or something somewhere else. We cannot control what we are born into or born with, but we can control how we use our resources and privileges. We can listen to the experiences of others, we can learn how those experiences influence how they live in the world everyday, and we can help make living a bit easier by becoming an ally and not negatively contributing to their lives with our actions or lack thereof. Pay attention to how pageant systems and the people running them implement this. Are they willing to listen, learn, and help make the world a better place for you and your community when called upon to do so? Are they willing to have tough conversations and self-assess? Or do they see no room for improvement? An organization’s desire to learn and progress for all people will tell you if there’s a place for you there.
I hope that this blog post was insightful! We all identify with many different labels and this is just one example of how we can continue to move through the world paying attention to the details so that we can receive the love and respect that we deserve.
If you would like to watch the corresponding YouTube video to this blog post click the link below!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9tGVY25kVU&list=PLdKf_Cakc2U8d23VUxjXfCMuwoO9XOnJ6&index=5
