The contestants for the 2018 Miss Black USA pageant acted against the Unite the Right rally expected to take place in Washington, D.C. this coming weekend. The group of women held a protest sign-making event during their Contestant Orientation.
The “pro-White” rally will take place at Lafayette Park on Sunday, Aug. 12. The 2018 Miss Black USA Pageant will be held on the same day at the University of the District of Columbia.
When the contestants learned of the march, which comes on the anniversary of the White nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that left one dead and dozens injured, they decide to use their platform to speak out against it.
The group made signs condemning white supremacy. Angel Wheeler, Miss Black South Carolina, wrote, “’Nah.’ – Rosa Parks,” on her poster. Miss Black Texas, JoAnn Emale’s sign read, “Respect my existence or expect my resistance.”
The finalists posed for photos holding their messages with raised fists in front of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
The Miss Black USA pageant is the largest Black beauty pageant for women of color and has awarded over $500,000 in scholarships to date.
