by African American, Miss Black America
[African American] [Fashion & Beauty] Archive of 9 black and white silver gelatin photographs of the Miss Black America beauty pageant contestants and winners dating from the 1960s-70s. Black women combated racial discrimination by creating their own space to celebrate Black beauty in an all-Black pageant. Starting in 1970, Miss Black America was originally a local Philadelphia area contest to protest the lack of black women in the Miss America pageant. With the support of the NAACP, the pageant gained nationwide coverage, eventually being televised by NBC in 1977, a day before CBS aired the Miss America Beauty Pageant. Photographs measure approximately 8" x 10" with one measuring 5.75" x 8". This archive of mostly press photographs show various Black women adorned in sashes, tiaras, and ornate evening gowns competing for the crown. Pageants were a means for young women to begin their careers in beauty and fashion, as well as gain financial reward or scholarships to further their education. Many photos have the original publisher's article pasted or printed en verso or on the margins. The earliest photo from 1968 shows three beautiful smiling Black contestants as Saundra Williams of Philadelphia is crowned as Miss Black America next to the other two finalists, Linda Johnson and Theresa Taylor. Another photograph from 1969 shows three unidentified women competing to likely be chosen as the contestant for their state, the woman are shown with large bouffant hairdos of the 1960s, and other unchosen contestants await word in the background. Sylvia Alexis Smith is shown holding a trophy as she's chosen to be the first Miss Black North Carolina to be represented in the third annual Miss Black America contest in 1970. A 1978 photograph of Cassandra LaFarque of New Orleans is shown smiling while wearing a jeweled tiara as she's been chosen to represent Louisiana in the greater Miss Black America contest. An image from 1975 shows Helen Ford, a senior at Jackson State University on the runway wearing a "Miss Black Mississippi" sash as she was chosen to represent her state. Joyce Warner of Florida is shown adorning a whimsical space age crown and holding a large bouquet as she can hardly contain her joy to be crowned as Miss Black America 1971 at Madison Square Garden, beating 32 other contestants. Another interesting photograph shows Diane Jackson of Los Angeles smiling while wearing her winner's sash as she's shown next to Linda Barney of New Brunswick, the second runner up, as Barney wears the winning crown. The 1972 pageant came as a shock to the crowd as winner Jackson relinquished her crown to Barney exclaiming that she wishes to pursue a career in music rather than beauty. Modeling in fashion and print has historically been dominated by white women, reflecting a bias in beauty standards in the United States. Overall very good condition. These images show black women claiming space in the still often exclusionary fashion and beauty world of the mid-late 20th century.
(Inventory #: 20897)