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.
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Christina Santi is a news and culture writer for EBONY.com. Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, she considers herself a well-read, not so traditional feminist with a heavy interest in music, fashion and pop culture. Christina currently lives in New York City, where she refers to her Cuban & Jamaican descent often while writing about her experiences as a first-generation Afro-Latinx in America. She also devotes time writing personalized reading material for her tutees and turning ideas into words for streetwear brand, PUER By Noel Bronson.