The Miss Spelman pageant took place on Saturday, Apr. 16, in Sisters Chapel and the theme for this year's pageant was "An Evolution of Dreams." Miss Spelman and Her Court serve as student ambassadors for the. Miss Spelman and Her Court were first introduced to Spelman's campus in 1990. The crown represents a long lineage of black women who sought out to serve as representatives of Spelman College while promoting the ideals: Academic Excellence, Ethical Leadership, Appreciation of Diverse Cultures, and Commitment to Positive Social Change.
Beginning with opening recitations in which each contestant related a Spelman woman to an element within a garden like soil, water, and tree. The contestants for Miss Spelman later stormed the stage again and performed their opening dance to the anthem for black girls everywhere, "Formation" by Beyoncé and also gave their dramatic AUC pageant style introductions. The contestants for Miss Spelman included Naomie Delva, Alaya Martin, Taylor Terrell, Ariell LeBoeuf, Nautice Myles, Chadli Pittman, and Daeja Langston.
The beautiful ladies competing for Miss Spelman also had to share the stage with the men competing for the title of Mr. Blue and White. Mr. Blue and White also serves as a student ambassador for Spelman College. Dancing onto the stage to the song "My Girl" by The Temptations were the Mr. Blue and White contestants: Ramon Johnson, Jawuan Johnson, Charquez Williams, Donte Huffman, Brandon Adams, Jostin Grimes, and Justin Guyton.
The women in the running for Miss Spelman also showcased their talents through the "Artistic Expression" portion of the competition. One of my favorite pieces was by Daeja Langston in which she sang "Smile" by Nat King Cole. Before Daeja began to sing, dancer Jazmine Freeman acted as if she was all of Daeja's negative thoughts surrounding her and preventing her from reaching her full potential. This piece of artistic expression was able to address the serious issue of mental health which is not a typical issue discussed within the black community. Bravo to Daeja Langston for sparking a discussion with her performance!
The next portion of the Miss Spelman pageant was "Presence and Poise in Evening Wear". While the contestants individually marched out in their beautiful dresses, the crowd was going wild. The noise and sounds of Spelmanites boosting their fellow Spelman sisters were quickly silenced when the words, "Hi *contestant name*, how are you?" were spoken, signaling the question and answer portion was beginning. Alaya Martin received a question centered around the relevancy of pageants in the 21st century which I found to be an interesting question as we are living in a time where more and more people are critiquing the role of pageants as only celebrating superficiality. Alaya answered the question by detailing how pageants allow women to be celebrated while showcasing their talents and that pageants also provide other women within and outside of the community with role models. An excellent answer for an excellent contestant.
The Miss Spelman pageant is one which encourages black women to celebrate their inner and outer beauty in a society which tells black women that we are not good enough. Representation is important because these women and men represent educated black students who attend an HBCU. Many argue that HBCUs are not necessary in today's society because they do not produce any capable world leaders and only hold their students back due to the lack of racial diversity. These well spoken and creative women and men prove that that speculation is incorrect and HBCUs produce students who are able to compete in the "real world" with Ivy league graduates.
The Mr. Blue and White and Court 2016-2017 are Justin Guyton (second attendant), Jawuan Johnson (first attendant), and Donte Huffman (Mr. Blue and White). The Miss Spelman and Court 2016-2017 are Alaya Martin (second attendant), Chadli Pittman (first attendant), and Daeja Langston (Miss Spelman). Congratulations to all contestants who participated within this pageant and a special congratulations to the 2016-2017 Miss Spelman and Court! As a student at Spelman College, I am looking forward to seeing how these powerful and dynamic women and men will impact Spelman College during their reign.
