Winter break 2017 was the most fruitful break I've ever had in college. Thanks to my friends and family, I was able to win the title of Miss Guinea USA First-Runner Up, meaning I came in second place.
Despite the fact that I didn’t secure the crown, I still elevated my own invisible crown. A crown that I believe every Black Queen and princess possess. But it is earned through authenticity and achieving goals and not through royalty or financial gains.
Many people ask me how and why I even got into the Miss Guinea USA Pageant. Well, many of my loved ones know I am a bubbly, fun, & an outspoken person. A lot of that comes from the pain I’ve had to embrace & outgrow as a Guinean girl in America, living in places where no one even knew where Guinea is located.
Majority of the time, people label me before even asking where I am from based on my skin tone, facial structure, or “lack of accent.” I always had to help ignorant people understand that there is more to Africa than the more popular countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana (which is often confused with Guinea).
The fact that Guinea is unknown to most people outside of West Africa and the lack of resources in my rich country based on my previous vacations are the main factors that influenced my decision to participate in the Miss Guinea USA pageant.
After being selected as the Washington state representative, I was beyond happy to find a way to give back to my native country, Guinea. I decided to choose education equity as my main focus because it is the best way to eliminate the cycle of poverty.
My goal is to help children who choose or are forced to participate in unlawful child labor become entrepreneurs or gain the basic human rights they deserve: education and effective resources to achieve their dreams.
Before the pageant, my UW friends and I were working on a conference called Africa NOW. It is a conference that will bring young executives and African leaders into a safe space where we would start looking at ways we could unlock the future of African countries. It will take place at the University of Washington on May 19th, 2018.
Unfortunately, it would take another article to explain my plans in detail, which is why I included the link to my GoFundme account.
I am not disappointed about not securing the first place title. The benefits of participating in Miss Guinea USA is the fact that I won money to start my education equity project in Guinea, just like the winner will be able to start her own project.
In addition to that, I also got to build an unbreakable and lasting bond with the other contestants, who were all brilliant and beautiful in their own ways.
Winning Miss Guinea USA first runner-up title has and will help me accomplish my projects in Guinea and the US. I am African and American. My passion and faith in a future full of love, equity, and leadership guide my goals and commitment to always elevate my crown and better the world, as a Black Guinean woman.