TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – More than 30 local girls and women are getting ready to compete in the Miss Black Florida USA Pageant which focuses on representation and authenticity.
Beauty pageants can often be associated with the glitz and glam, but it’s the beauty in self discovery that is capturing its contestants.
“It’s about the impact that we have on the community and the individual themselves, said Nhari Fitzgerald. “I say some of the best characteristics about myself I learned through pageantry.”
Nhari Fitzgerald has dominated the pageant world for nearly a decade. In fact, she’s a former Miss Black Florida USA herself. Wanting to bring back the culture and representation that comes along with this pageant, she reignited the Miss Black Florida USA pageant, and now serves as the President and Executive Director.
“I remember being a little girl and said I want to do that, but I didn’t see women that looked like me,” Fitzgerald said. “As I got older, yes we saw Black and brown girls, but we had to change things about ourselves to show up and if we didn’t win we were wondering was it because I didn’t wear my hair a certain way.”