Maybe you haven’t heard, or maybe you’ve already heard about it a million times. Still, it’s worth noting that women of color are now winners of the top 5 beauty contests in the world!
Current Events
Yes, Miss Universe, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, Miss America, and Miss World are winners — oh, and they’re also all black women.
Last Saturday, 23-year-old Toni-Ann Singh from Jamaica was crowned Miss World 2019. She now joins 26-year-old Zozibini Tunzi from South Africa (Miss Universe 2019), 26-year-old Nia Franklin (Miss America 2019), 28-year-old Cheslie Kryst (Miss USA 2019), and 19-year-old Kaliegh Garris (Miss Teen USA 2019) in an unprecedented and historic moment of women of color ruling the world’s best beauty contests.
“I think it’s such a great move forward as … the world and as a society say, ‘Look, women who were in the past never had opportunities to do things like this are now here,'” Tunzi last week on “Good Morning America.”
Interestingly, Tunzi, who rocks a short afro, was heavily advised to change her hairstyle from its rather obvious afro-centric look to a more European look — advice she quickly dismissed.
“This hair can be beautiful, too, because it’s how I was born to look. I did get pressures, too, but I didn’t want to fall into that pressure. I wanted to look like this 100%,” Tunzi said.
The women also spoke about the challenges they have faced during this historic moment.
“I think there are times where I am disappointed, because people will sometimes comment on our social media, and they’ll say, ‘Why are we talking about your race?” said Kryst. “Like, you guys are just four amazing women.’ Like, yes, we’re four amazing women, but there was a time when we literally could not win.”
Still, Tunzi was celebratory.
“If someone says finally, ‘Oh my God, you’re so beautiful. You look like Miss USA,’ they can finally actually believe that they are as beautiful as Miss USA,” said Tunzi. “Just from mothers who say, ‘My 4-year-old daughter was so excited to see you on stage. And she kept on screaming, ‘You look like me. She looks like me.’ And I think … it’s breaking those boundaries.”
THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY!
.
“I think it’s such a great move forward as … the world and as a society say, ‘Look, women who were in the past never had opportunities to do things like this are now here,’” Tunzi last week on “Good Morning America.”
The key word being “opportunities.” The whole world knows (and certainly Americans know) that when WE (people of Color) are granted an Equal opportunity to compete, or simply demonstrate what WE (as individuals or a group) can do WE are as good, if not The Best at what WE do. That is why so many racist-motivated barriers (laws and systems) have historically been put in place to keep Us OUT of the *club* if you will. FEAR that WE would dominate. But I won’t go off on a tangent today…lol
T’is the Christmas season. I’ll just say Congrats to ALL of the ladies!
Well done.