The Eta Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity hosted the 2019 Miss Black and Old Gold Scholarship Pageant on Saturday, April 20, at the Lubbock Civic Center.
The pageant included seven contestants: Wuraola Alli, Whitney Ezenwa, Stephanie Jones, Kellie Kadiri, Chioma Ogbata, Cynthia Okeke and Tyra Smith. The ladies competed in categories such as swimwear/sportswear, evening wear, professional wear and the talent portion to earn the spot as 2019's Ms. Black and Old Gold.
Students, faculty and families were invited to attend the event with the opportunity to cheer on their favorite contestants and participate in the event's festivities.
The 2019 Miss Black and Old Gold winner was contestant number five, Chioma Ogbata, with the first runner up position and Miss Congeniality award given to contestant six, Cynthia Okeke, and contestant seven, Tyra Smith placing as second runner up.
According to the Texas Tech chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, the pageant was first hosted in 1976 at the fraternity general convention. The pageant officially became a staple within the fraternity in 1982 and has been hosted annually since. It was first introduced to the Tech campus in 1992, and its first winner was Candida Johnson.
The pageant winner received a $1,000 scholarship alongside lifelong recognition and induction into the Eta Upsilon chapter's "Eta Up family."
Paris K. Wright is originally from Los Angeles and served as a pageant mom for the event. She worked to prepare the young ladies competing with tips on walking, talent and questions. However, she said there is a larger message behind her position.
"I believe that women shouldn't just be pretty," she said. "They have things to say, and that's really important to me."
Latonya Moning, an attendant from Dallas, was also the mother of Stephanie Jones, contestant three. Moning said her favorite part of the event was the swimsuit and sports section because of its versatility. She said familial support has been impactful in her daughter's pageant run.
"It was important for us, one, because I teach my child to be confident in her self and know who she is," she said. "This was just another event for us to accomplish and be a part of, to let my daughter know she can do anything she puts her mind to."
Contestant seven Tyra Smith, a sophomore kinesiology major from Houston, placed as the second runner up, Miss Gold. She said the pageant and months of preparation has given her growth as a woman.
"The impact that this event had on me was teaching me obedience, and to respect people's time, learning to love myself, my inner self and my outer self," she said.
Mariam Otitoju, a sophomore pre-nursing student from Dallas, said she attended the event to support her friends competing in the pageant. However, she also noticed the impact the event had on herself.
"Today's event was wonderful, and I enjoyed it," she said."As a black woman at Texas Tech, this program taught me that beauty is not only about what's on the outside, but what's on the inside as well. All these women showed wonderful talents and perspectives."
Contestant one, Wuraola Alli, is a junior computer engineering major from Dallas. She said she invested five months into the event, spending over four hours per day and three to four times a week on practicing her talents and skills.
Alli said the pageant is important for the black community, as it showcases more than beautiful women. It shows what they are able to accomplish, she said.
"It's more than a pageant, it's more than getting a crown," she said. "It's about using your platform to create something bigger, and that's extremely important."
She also encouraged young women, black women especially, aspiring to compete in the pageant next year.
"Stand for something, even if you're the only one that stands for it," she said. "No matter how much backlash you get from it, stand for whatever it is that you believe in, because at the end of the day, you will prosper."