Although many moms consider their daughters royalty, at least three Black female parents will celebrate Mothers’ Day 2019 boasting the unprecedented, historic and simultaneous victories their off-springs accomplished becoming the first of their race to be simultaneously crowned queens of national beauty pageants.
Their pride of blazing a trail becoming the first of their race to simultaneously represent the Miss USA, Miss Teen USA and Miss America pageants — Miss North Carolina, Cheslie Kryst became the most recent winner and the triple crown addition to two other beautiful Black women by claiming a coveted prize winning over a court of 50 competitors and the Miss USA pageant in Reno, Nevada on May 2.
Kryst is the ninth Black beauty to win the crown in the 64-year history of the pageant.
Nia Franklin was already the reigning 2019 Miss America winner and Kaleigh Garris completed the triumvirate championing the 2019 Miss Teen USA title.
“The three young women who have focused their energy on demonstrating how standards of Black beauty speaks for American standards of beauty are to be commended,” Thomas DeFrantz, professor in the Department of African American Studies at Duke University said.
“These three standard bearers prove that Black beauty is at the heart of a 21st century American ideal,” he added.
Miss America 2019, Franklin, a native New Yorker won her title last year in Atlantic City, New Jersey and immediately emerged a double winner when she was announced the first ever to nab the title without having to strut out in a swimsuit.
It was the first-time showcase since the swimsuit category was eliminated.
Teenager Garris hails from New Haven, Connecticut.
She won her crown last month and aspires to becoming a trauma nurse.
Kryst the charm of the USA is an attorney from Charlotte, North Carolina, she boasts an MBA from Wake Forest University and was a former track star.
Her win now places her among contestants who will vie for the Miss Universe title.
“Mine is the first generation to have that forward-looking mindset that has inclusivity, diversity strength and empowered women. I’m looking forward to continued progress in my generation,” Kryst reportedly said after taking the crown.
As winner of the oldest beauty pageant in America, Kryst must now know that in 1921 Black women were not even allowed to compete in the Miss America pageant because of a rule which stated that contestants must be of “the white race.”
She might also have been told that the Miss USA contest was inaugurated in 1952 and only when Carole Anne-Marie Gist scored with judges in 1990 did a Black queen win the coveted title.
One year later Janel Bishop became the very first Black to win the Miss Teen USA pageant.
It was only 1970 that Cheryl Browne made history when she became the first Black woman to participate in the Miss America contest.
Her entre enabled more than a dozen Black beauties to compete in either the Miss America or Miss USA contests.
New Yorker, Vanessa Williams broke the glass ceiling in 1983 winning the Miss America title.
She excelled in theater, music and other entertainment ventures and reigns supremely as an achiever.
Despite the fact 93 countries represent the global spectrum, only a handful of Black women have ever won the Miss Universe Pageant.
Trinidad & Tobago’s Janelle Commissiong was first to nab the title in 1977. The historic feat was repeated when Wendy Fitzwilliam wore a bikini in the swim suit pageant and became the first do so. She added another triumph for the twin island Caribbean nation in 1998.
Angola’s Leila Lopes won in 2011, Mpule Kwelagobe of Botswana was crowned in 1999, Chelsi Smith of the USA represented Texas and in one year was crowned twice — Miss USA and Miss Universe. That year of 1995, she emerged the very first Miss USA to become Miss Universe in 15 years.
From the Caribbean, Miss Puerto Rico has taken the Miss Universe title on five occasions — 1970, 1985, 1993, 2001 and 2006.
Venezuela in 1979, 1981, 1996, 2008, 2009 and also in 2013.
The isthmus of Panama scored one for the region in 2002 and Dominican Republic in 2003.
Although the crown has been elusive to Jamaican women, Marguerite Lewars was the first to represent the island in 1961 in the Miss World pageant. She did not win but scored a role in the first James Bond movie. Look for her in “Dr. No” where she acts the role of Annabel Chung, a photographer.
Her equally beautiful sister Barbara was married to Michael Manley who was prime minister.
Jamaica boasts three victories on the international pageant scene. The island’s Carole Joan Crawford won the first Miss World title in 1963.
Cynthia Jean Cameron Breakspeare followed in 1976 and Lisa Hanna in 1993.
Yendi Phillips of Jamaica placed first runner up in the 2010 Miss Universe pageant.
Kaci Fennell also scored winning points in Miami in 2015 for wearing a short-cropped hairstyle.
She finished fourth and almost caused a riotous protest with patrons posting “she was robbed” comments on the internet.
Perhaps the most controversial was the year 2017 when Davina Bennett won social media plaudits and overwhelmed the crowd wearing a naturally appealing Afro hairstyle.
In addition to fashioning an unprocessed hair, the 21-year-old also wowed the judges with her rapid-fire response in the question and answer segment. The fact she was stunningly beautiful and regal in her colorful outfit might have contributed to the boos heard throughout the Las Vegas venue when she was not selected queen of queens.
Bennett won world support trending on Twitter and other social media outlets but only scored third place and acclaim as second runner up
To all queens, crowned and bequeathed, childless or mothers, a happy, happy, Mothers’ Day 2019.
Catch You On The Inside!
