The Miss Black America pageant is a competition for young African American women in areas such as speech, talent, style, and poise — essentially the black version of the popular Miss America pageant. In 2009 the pageant had its "kick off", after 40 years which took place in Washington DC. The first teen winner was Ashley Anglin, and the adult winner was Miss Kammilla Collier-Mullen.
[edit] History
J. Morris Anderson first created and produced the Miss Black America Pageant on August 17, 1968. It was originally a local Philadelphia area pageant to protest the lack of black women in the Miss America pageant. With strong assistance from Phillip H. Savage, Tri-State Director of the NAACP, the pageant received nationwide press coverage as a protest against the Miss America Pageant, an event that Mr. Savage and other NAACP leaders had long condemned for exclusion of black women contestants.
[edit] The winners
| Year | Miss Black America | From |
| 1968 | Saundra Williams | Pennsylvania |
| 1969 | Gloria O. Smith | New York |
| 1970 | Stephanie Clark | DC |
| 1971 | Joyce Warner | Florida |
| 1972 | Linda Barney | New Jersey |
| 1973 | Arniece Russell | New York |
| 1974 | Von Gretchen Shepard | Los Angeles, California |
| 1975 | Helen Jean Ford | Hattiesburg, Mississippi |
| 1976 | Twanna Kilgore | Washington, D.C. |
| 1977 | Claire Ford | Memphis, Tennessee |
| 1978 | Lydia Jackson | Willingboro, New Jersey |
| 1979 | Varetta Shankle | Mississippi |
| 1980 | Sharon Wright | Chicago, Illinois |
| 1981 | Yvette Cason | District of Columbia |
| 1982 | Susan Wells | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| 1984 | Lydia S.Garrett | Columbia, South Carolina |
| 1985 | Amina Fakir | Detroit, Michigan |
| 1986 | Rachel Oliver | Burlington, North Carolina |
| 1987 | Leila McBride | Denver, Colorado |
| 1988 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1989 | Paula Gywnn | Unknown |
| 1990 | Rosie Jones | Unknown |
| 1991 | Sharmell Sullivan | Gary, Indiana |
| 1992 | Marilyn DeShields | Virgina, Richmond |
| 1993 | Ebony Warren | Unknown |
| 1994 | Pilar G. Fort | Detroit, Michigan |
| 1995 | Karen D. Wallace (Douglas) | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| 1996 | Basheerah Ahmad | Choctaw, Oklahoma |
| 1997 | Karen Brimley-Massey | West Helena, Arkansas |
| 1998 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1999 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2000 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2001 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2002 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2003 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2004 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2005 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2006 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2007 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2008 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2009 | Ashley Anglin-Teen | DC Metropolitan |
[edit] Trivia
- The Jackson 5 made their first television debut performing during the 1969 pageant, won by Gloria O. Smith, Miss New York.
- Kathleen Bradley won the "Miss Black California" award in 1971.
- In 1971, Oprah Winfrey competed as Miss Black Tennessee.
- 1977 winner Claire Ford also guest starred on the T.V. show Fantasy Island.
- In 1991, boxer Mike Tyson was a judge in the pageant, and the following year was convicted of raping Miss Black Rhode Island, Desiree Washington. The winner of that pageant was future WCW Nitro Girl, WWE Diva, and TNA Knockout Sharmell Sullivan.
- Two Jackson State University co-eds, Helen Jean Ford and Varetta Shankle, have held the title of Miss Black America. Both were also members of the University's marching band, "The Sonic Boom of the South."
- There is a Curtis Mayfield song entitled "Miss Black America."
- T'Keyah Crystal Keymah won the "Miss Black Illinois" pageant in 1985 and was First Runner Up in the Miss Black America Pageant that year.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
