IT HAPPENED ON THIS DATE! On this date, August 17, 1968, the first Miss Black America Pageant was held. It was originally a local Philadelphia area contest to protest the lack of black women in the Miss America pageant. J. Morris Anderson created and produced the Miss Black America Pageant on August 17, 1968 at the Ritz-Carlton in Atlantic City. With support 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. Recently, some have questioned the continued existence of the pageant. The Miss Black America (MBA) Pageant has always provided a stage on which the black woman could display her talent; where she could express her views; and, a pedestal where she could reign as a universal symbol of pride and dignity. Three decades of producing the Miss Black America Pageant has opened many avenues to black women and wiped away many negative images that have been beholden by the black community. A black woman who became Miss America was asked how she felt being Miss America, and being black. She responded: “Black is the least that I am" The opinion of the MBA organization is that black is the most beautiful entity any human being with dark skin can be in America. This, because all humans are a total of their experiences, and being black is the most profound experience a black human being encounters in America. The Miss Black America pageant is the original competition for young African American women in areas such as speech, talent, style, and poise — it is essentially the black version of the popular Miss America pageant. Throughout the years the pageant has featured and garnered the support of the some of the most prominent artists, activists, performers of our time including Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and Oprah Winfrey. With a rich history of over 40 years of excellence, in 2009 the pageant had its "kick off" in Washington, D.C. to re-brand the competition for the new generation. The MBA Pageant was created more as a protest against the negative self images that black people imposed upon themselves and against the powers which imposed those images. These negative attitudes still remain established in America. In September 1977, NBC televised the Miss Black America contest, the day before CBS televised Miss America.
Posted on: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 15:40:58 +0000
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