![]() It is similar to Miss America but the organizations are completely separate however, they both have struggled with lack of diversity in its history. The other famed US-focused pageant is Miss USA. Vanessa Williams, of New York, accomplished this becoming the first Black Miss America in 1984. It would take another 14 years before a Black woman would win the title. Although, Black organizations had been holding community-based pageants due to segregation laws in the United States prior to this event being established.ĭespite these inclusive pageants, Black women still vied for the title of Miss America and thirty years after the discriminatory rule was removed from the pageant’s handbook, Cheryl Browne, of Iowa, became the first Black woman to be a contestant in the pageant in 1970. The first Miss Black America pageant occurred on August 17, 1968, in protest of Miss America. Rules like this one, the lack of representation and access into the Miss America pageant sparked the development of the Miss Black America pageant. In the 1930s up until 1940, a rule was reportedly in place that read, “contestants must be of good health and of the white race” to qualify for the Miss America pageant. The first Miss America pageant was held in 1921 but it took nearly 50 years before a Black woman even participated in the event.
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