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Despite a long history of segregation and racism, the largest US parades have broken racial barriers in recent decades. Vanessa Williams became the first black woman to win the Miss America title in 1984. Carole Gist won Miss USA in 1990. Janel Bishop won Miss Teen USA in 1991.
Since then, each competition has had several black winners.
Last week, for the first time, black women wore the crowns of the three main competitions simultaneously.
Cheslie Kryst, 28, won the Miss USA contest and 18-year-old Kaliegh Garris won Miss Teen USA. They joined Nia Franklin, 25, who was crowned Miss Europe 2019 in September.
The three victories have become a powerful symbol of how American views of beauty have evolved from a past marred by racism and sexist stereotypes, even as black leaders are still severely underrepresented in the past. other areas, such as large US companies or Congress.
"It's important for little black and brown girls to see three strong figures, three strong women, African-American women doing remarkable work," Franklin said on Saturday. "People will say that race does not matter. But race counts in America, because of history, because of slavery. "
The announcement of the victories attracted the attention of many Saturdays, attracting words of support from the actress Halle Berry and Senator Kamala Harris, who is fighting for the presidential nomination of the 2020 Democratic Party, among other influential figures.
"Nia, Cheslie and Kaliegh: you are pioneers, you create your own way on your own terms," Harris said on Twitter.
The attention comes as the country rethinks more and more of the long established gender norms, under the impetus of the # MeToo movement. Parades have recently sought to put more emphasis on the lives of women and girls behind the scenes, highlighting their achievements and charity work, instead of their appearances.
The Miss Universe Organization, which runs Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, began allowing transgender women to participate in 2012. Last year, the Miss America organization announced that it would end the swimsuit contest, among other changes.
It is the racial history of the pageants that the "trifecta of black winners" is perhaps the most important, said Ashley Nkadi, a former Miss Black Ohio who wrote about the past of pageants.
"I think the image is very important, especially to find out where the popular apogee came from," she said.
Black women have long been underrepresented in competitions, said Elwood Watson, a professor of history and African-American studies at East Tennessee State University. For decades, they have been excluded from the Miss America competitions.
"They have always been considered" the other "and white women have always been the standard of beauty," he said.
The Miss America show of 1968 held in Atlantic City is one of the most infamous examples of this dynamic. The competition took place as the struggle for civil rights raged across the country; only white women participated in the contest.
On the outside pavement, feminists threw bras, curling irons and false eyelashes into the trash to condemn the women's body control by male judges.
Four blocks away, at a Ritz-Carlton hotel, another ceremony was held, crowning 19-year-old Miss Miss Black America, Saundra Williams, in protest of the "white stereotype" The New York Times reported.
"Miss America does not represent us because there has never been a black girl in the parade," she said. "With my title, I can show black women that they too are beautiful."
There have been a number of milestones since. In 1970, Miss Iowa, Cheryl Browne became the first black candidate to enter the Miss America contest. Mrs. Franklin stated that she was the ninth black Miss America.
The winners of 2019 are not strangers to racism. Ms. Franklin recalled that when she was 9, she was called a racial insult and was asked to return to Africa. Ms. Kryst stated that she had been told that she was "pretty for a black girl".
"Of course, there will be parts of me that have experienced racism," said Mrs. Franklin. "It did not stop me. I have gone through this Miss America system with strength, pride and grace. "
But Ms. Nkadi said that greater representation is needed. Winners of the contest are usually not bigger or darker skin, she said.
"I still think the Eurocentric beauty model still dominates," she said.
Diversity in the appearance did not affect many groups, said Hilary Levey Friedman, visiting professor of education at Brown University, studied historical re-enactments. Ms. Friedman said that Latin and Asian women were struggling to be represented.
"Increasing diversity as a whole is definitely a conversation to have," she said.
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