Black women are holding the crown – literally and figuratively.
Toni-Ann Singh of Jamaica has been named the 69th Miss World winner. Women from around the world gathered in London on Saturday to compete for the title and blue crown. However, Singh came out on top over 100+ contestants.
The title comes after Zozibini Tunzi’s historic Miss Universe win last week, becoming the first black women from South Africa to ever win he title. It signified also the first time that black women had simultaneously held the top prize in four of the major beauty pageants, reported the New York Times.
Now that Singh has been named Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA and Miss America are all black women.
The 23-year-old psychology and women studies graduate earned an ovation from the audience after singing Whitney Houston’s hit I Have Nothing during the beauty pageant and after a round of questions from British journalist Piers Morgan.
“I think I represent something special, a generation of women that are pushing forward to change the world,” she told Morgan.
The two runners-up for the crown were Miss France and Miss India. Singh was crowned by last year’s winner, Vanessa Ponce de Leon of Mexico.
Pageants have long been criticised for their antiquated beauty standards and, in many cases, outright racism or gender stereotyping. Last year, the Miss America Organization announced it would scrap both the swimsuit and evening gown portions of the competition.
While black women have been winners in the past; notably Vanessa Williams, who in 1984 was the first black woman to be named Miss America — they have never been as successful as this year.
Supporters of the women — Ms. Tunzi, Cheslie Kryst (this year’s Miss USA), Kaliegh Garris (Miss Teen USA) and Nia Franklin (Miss America) — say the recognition sends a powerful message that today’s beauty standards are evolving beyond Barbie-lite, or an era when contestants were prized solely for smooth hair, light skin color and thin lips.
“Finally the universe is giving value to black skin,” read an Instagram post from Leila Lopes, a former Miss Angola who was crowned Miss Universe in 2011.
