Miss Black USA Pageant


The Miss Black USA Scholarship Pageant is a national scholarship competition for young women of African descent that was founded in 1986 by Karen Arrington. While Ms. Arrington has a long-standing history of hosting a national Miss Black USA Scholarship Pageant, her system has not been exclusive in doing so consecutively. As indicated by the chart below, there have been some years where "no pageant was held" by Ms. Arrington's State of Maryland organized non-profit, for example in years such as 1998, 1999 and 2000. However, similar to Miss USA and Miss America both being national systems, there have been other non-profits to host national scholarship pageants to celebrate Black women, with documented queens.
The Miss Black USA Pageant System founded by Ms. Arrington is a non-profit corporation in the state of Maryland, recognized under the 5013 code of the Internal Revenue Service. The current titleholder under her pageant system is Naiylah Archer of New Jersey, who was crowned on August 3, 2025.

History and former titleholders

The first titleholder was Tamiko Gibson, representing Maryland, who was crowned Miss Black USA 1987 at the JW Marriot in Washington, D.C., on June 6, 1987. Gibson would later complain that she had been improperly dethroned in May 1988 and received none of the promised prizes.
On August 23, 2003, Elizabeth Muto won the pageant, which was held in Miami. Muto returned her crown later that year because she was unhappy with the contract that the pageant asked her to sign, which would have made them her exclusive publicist, agent and manager.

State pageants

Each year, state competitions are held across the nation including Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington. The Miss Black USA organization licenses the state pageants. Women from areas where a state pageant is not held may apply as a delegate-at-large.

Winners

Local and State winners

Miss Black USA state and local delegate winners and contestants have gone on to successful careers in entertainment, law, education, medicine and other arenas. Some of the state and local pageant's winners include:
  • Rev. Deidra Avery, MDiv. – Minister.
  • Kia Talein Anderson – Award-Winning R&B/Gospel Recording artist, radio and TV Personality, actress and model. Dr. Lynette Danley-Land – College professor, author and speaker.Valorie Burton – Former co-host of Bishop TD Jake's Potter House, life coach and author.Kemba Cofield – Jazz recording artistArnecia (Bradley) Williams – US Army Engineer, Actress, and Motivational Speaker
  • Chloe Johnson – Television personality, model and dancer.
  • ' Brand and Wardrobe Stylist and Digital Merchant
  • ' actress, model, brand ambassador, host www.theashleymarie.com
  • Melba M. Furlow – Former Christian Radio Talk show host, author, college professor, & former student of Iyanla Vanzanthttp://www.floridafamilynetwork.com/melba-furlow-herringtonhttp://www.jaxpubliclibrary.org/sites/default/files/Biography-Vertical-Files-List-Dec2014.pdf
  • Daphne Marcelle Lee Professional Ballerina, Activist, Model, Brown Girls Do Ballet, MFA Hollins University, BFA Ailey/Fordham University, www.daphnemlee.com
  • Yasha Clark Personal Injury Attorney, Model, Author www.justcallyasha.comJustine Baker – Journalist, Television Personality, AuthorJillian Patricia Pirtle – soprano, historian, and CEO of the Marian Anderson Museum and Historical SocietyMyya Jones – international philanthropist, politician, and founder of Do Good Detroit and Do Good NigeriaElizabeth Ann James – Breast Cancer Researcher, philanthropist, influencer, and model