Everyone, take a seat. Bama Rush may have reigned supreme as the leading college event taking over TikTok for the past few years, but it’s time to make room for another highly entertaining tradition at a different Southern school: Spelman College. The historically Black women’s college located in Atlanta has been going viral on social media in recent days, as videos from its annual pageants are catching viewers’ eyes in a big way.
If Spelman PageantTok has made its way onto your For You page, you’ve likely seen videos of pageant contestants introducing themselves onstage with confidence, poise, and creativity, showcasing who they are and explaining why they deserve to take the crown this year. Many of the videos appear to be from the Miss Spelman College pageant, which has its own account on TikTok. In late March, the account posted a video unveiling of the contestants for the 42nd Miss Spelman College, which has racked up over 200,000 views in a week.
But Miss Spelman College isn’t the only pageant going on at the school right now. That’s right, the school hosts multiple pageants in which students can vie for a coveted title. Other pageants at Spelman College include Miss Black and Gold, Miss Afrolatinidad, and the Umoja African Students Association Pageant (this pageant spans across numerous HBCUs — not just Spelman).
People online are loving all the pageant content, which has been dubbed Spelman College PageantTok (much like Bama RushTok). Popular creator Suzanne Lambert made a video reacting to and expressing her love for the Spelman pageants, saying “this is my version of March Madness right now.” Users in the pageant videos’ comment section agree. One user said, “So much better than Bama Rush!!!” Another highlighted the fact that these pageants are getting so much love online, writing, “I love that multiple cultures are loving our girls. We are protective of our people and our creative expressions. The appreciation of our intelligence gives me/us HOPE ❤️.” A former Miss Black and Gold responded in the comment section as well saying, “My heart is overflowing joy 🥹🥰.”
Here’s what else to know about Spelman’s pageants.
Pageants Are Integral To HBCUs.
Being that this is the 42nd Miss Selman College pageant, it’s clear that the pageant history at Spelman runs deep. But actually, pageants are a huge part of HBCU culture in general, not just at Spelman. As one TikTok user wrote in a comment, “Spelman College grad here! HBCUs are HEAVY in pageant culture!! There are even pageants for dorm queens! Wait for Ms. Maroon and White at Morehouse (brother school) Spelman girls are the contestants!” Another user wrote, “Welcome to HBCU life in the spring. Let me blow your mind some more. 4 schools sit “share” a campus (Spelman, Morehouse, CAU, & Morris Brown) and all 4 of them have pageants going on right now.”
Clearly, pageants are a big deal at the HBCUs that host them — and thanks to platforms like TikTok, these events and traditions are finally reaching a larger audience that is giving them the recognition and celebration they deserve.
Who Won Spelman PageantTok 2025?
For those of you who are also obsessed with the Spelman College pageants, the winners of these pageants haven’t been announced as of March 31, so we will all have to keep up through TikTok to see which lucky contestants take the crown and win each of the respective titles.