*On this date in 1968, the first Miss Black America Pageant was held.
Held in Philadelphia, it was created by J. Morris Anderson. The Miss Black America (MBA) Pageant has always provided a stage on which the Black woman could display her talent, express her views, and have a pedestal where she could reign as a universal symbol of pride and dignity. Five decades of producing the Miss Black America Pageant has opened many avenues to black women and wiped away many negative images held accountable by the American Black community.
The first 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 is 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 MBA Pageant was also created to protest against the negative self-images that black people imposed upon themselves and against the powers that imposed those images. These negative attitudes remain established in America.
