What do you think of when you think of the term “pageant queen?” You probably thought of a girl with a very specific hairstyle, skin color and body shape. Imani Blackmon is no stranger to the stereotypes of the pageant world as she competed for 20 years. A former Miss Washington USA and now pageant coach, entrepreneur and Disneyland dancer, Blackmon has been a trailblazer for representation within pageantry. In fact, she was the first Black woman ever at Miss USA to wear her hair in braids, inspiring thousands! Her Campus at UCLA was able to interview Blackmon and learn all about her journey with pageantry and beyond.
HC: Tell us about yourself!
IB: My name is Imani Blackmon. I grew up doing pageants since I was five, so I’ve done pageants for 20 years. I was recently Miss Washington USA and competed at Miss USA. Now I’m currently a dancer at Disneyland, so I dance in all the parades and the shows. I own my clothing brand called Miss Girl Co, and I am a pageant coach. Along with that, I also do social media and content creation.
HC: Before we get to Miss USA Questions, let’s start at the beginning. You’ve done pageants for 20 years. How do you feel they have shaped who you are and your confidence?
IB: For every girl that competes in pageants, we learn interview skills, public speaking skills, poise, confidence and so much more, so many lifelong skills that we carry on into our adulthood whether that be jobs or just any business ventures that you are going through…I think pageantry overall has taught me to be a person that has big goals and dreams and to go after them.
HC: You are known as the first Black woman at Miss USA to compete in braids. What was your journey in coming to that decision?
IB: So my first time getting braids was that summer [before Miss USA 2020 in November], and I really got them because we were in quarantine. I was like “I don’t really feel like touching my hair…Let me just get some braids, it will be easier.” I felt I looked really good in them, and as I would post them I would get messages from the makeup artist I was working with, the photographer I was working with, my mom and my director saying “You should think about wearing these braids to Miss USA.” And I was like “No way, are you kidding me? That isn’t a Miss USA pageant look,” which is a sad mindset we have with hair and what a pageant girl should look like.
As I got more comfortable, I thought, “I do feel my most beautiful in these braids. I know it will make an impact, so why not?” I ended up wearing my braids to Miss USA and making history, which is really, really cool. I got to inspire a lot of people, and I love now seeing other girls wearing their braids on pageant platforms. I’ve seen girls wear braids at NAM (National American Miss) and IJM (International Junior Miss) and Miss America and all these other local and state titles. I like to think I’ve had some impact and influence in that.
HC: You definitely have! What was it actually like being at Miss USA and competing in braids?
IB: I feel like everyone was really excited about it. I don’t think I got any negative backlash from it. Of course, all the Black queens were like “Yes sis, period! This is everything.” But, even the queens that weren’t Black were just so excited to see that I was doing it…I remember after prelims, I went to Twitter and I typed in “braids” and “Miss USA” as keywords to see if anyone was talking about it, and I saw so many tweets about me and my braids.
HC: We really do have an idea of what a pageant girl should “look like.” How has that image impacted your journey while competing?
IB: Growing up doing pageants, I felt that I was the only Black girl. I grew up in Washington, which isn’t the most diverse place in the world, so I was always the only Black girl in my dance classes and in the pageant world as well. I was actually the first Black Miss Washington Teen USA in 2013. There still hasn’t been another one since, so I am the first and only. I was only the second Black Miss Washington USA, and this is in like a 69-year edition of this pageant. For a lot of Black girls, I am that person they can look to in the state of Washington to show they can compete.
I think more recently, especially in Miss USA, we’ve seen a lot of Black titleholders be crowned, and it’s just been incredible. But, I think because of that, people think we’ve gotten over this hump. In reality, that’s not necessarily true. There are still a lot of things that need to happen and a lot more representation that needs to be seen in the pageant community.
Not seeing representation a lot can be hard because if you don’t see someone who looks like you, how are you supposed to think you can accomplish a goal? When you look down the line and see back-to-back-to-back these blonde, blonde, blonde girls, how on earth do I feel that I can come in and win? It starts to make you doubt what you can do and your capabilities when you don’t see that representation, but once I got over that part, I was like “let’s do this!”
HC: I agree. I’ve been in the pageant world for almost 10 years, and I specifically want to talk about Black hair because I remember just a few years ago when curly hair was taboo. How has the perception of Black hair changed over the years in pageants?
IB: I love watching how it is progressing over time. Like you said, wearing your curly hair was something they did not like to see. It was not something we saw getting crowned. I feel like only in the most recent years have we seen people wearing their natural hair…That is what inclusion is all about, making people feel comfortable in different realms of life, including your hair in pageantry.
HC: November and December were big months in pageantry with both an African American Miss USA and Teen USA being crowned, one with natural hair. What does it mean to you?
IB: It’s been so cool to see so many Black women…In the past five to six years, there have been four or five Black title holders, and it’s amazing…I think this is well deserved because they all won on their own merit, not for anything else. It’s so amazing to see these women be successful in the pageant world, and I’ve seen firsthand how many girls now signed up for pageantry or aspire to compete in a pageant now because they think, “I can do that too because these women look like me.” And they all look different, and they all have something different to offer, so I think it’s so great that we’ve so many Black people excelling in pageantry. And it’s so exciting to have a Black Miss USA and Teen USA together, I can’t wait until they have their official photoshoot.
HC: I remember a few years ago when for the first time ever, we had a Black Miss America, Miss USA and Teen USA all at the same time. I also remember during that time people on Facebook and the internet were complaining about why we need to bring attention to their race. What do you have to say to comments like that, and why do you think it is important we do bring awareness to race?
IB: Because there was a time when we couldn’t do anything! When people say why do we have to bring it up that there is the first Black _____, it’s because that’s just the fact of what it is. White people never have to think about what “the first” is because they were already given everything. Everything was catered and made to fit their image. You don’t have to think “this is the first white person to do this.” That doesn’t even sound right.
For Black people, we weren’t allowed to do so many things legally. We just weren’t given the chance or opportunity. So, when we do something after everything our community has been through and the centuries and decades and years before us, then, of course, we have to celebrate. No matter what, we were able to overcome that and become the first whatever it is…There’s nothing wrong with saying you are the first Black person to do this in history…I think people just get frustrated that everything “has to do with race,” and they think we are always pulling this “race card,” but the reality is we are just talking about it because there was a time when we weren’t able to do any of this stuff, so it’s a huge accomplishment.
HC: We’ve talked about how far the pageant world has come, but what do you think still needs to be worked on or improved?
IB: Body image is a huge one. I think when it comes to body image, we are still stuck in this way of thinking about what a pageant girl should look like. I say even for myself, I would feel like I would have to lose 20 pounds before a pageant, and I would. I would go on a strict diet, I would work out, I would weigh myself a lot. I always felt I had to lose at least 20 pounds to be competitive on a stage, and that is an unhealthy mindset to be in so often. When you gain the weight back, you don’t feel as pretty because you were so fixated on a certain look. Pageants promote themselves as if they are about health and wellness, but at the end of the day, they’re not really. It’s still about looking a certain way and having a certain body type, and that’s a huge thing that has to change. I can’t wait to see the first plus-size Miss USA. I’ve also seen a couple of women who are in wheelchairs competing, and I think that would be really cool to see on the Miss USA stage. I think there’s still room for representation in different aspects beyond just race.
HC: I agree. Moving onto your role as a coach, what is it like for you to visit these national pageants and see the variety of girls there?
IB: I love getting to be a coach because I get to stay in the pageant world since I am a retired beauty queen. I am so happy to pass on my knowledge to other young girls and women. Since I’ve done it for 20 years, I know a lot of the ins and outs of pageantry. I’ve also judged pageants before, so I’ve been on the other side as well. It is nice to give my tips to girls who have been competing and let them know what I would be looking for as a judge.
I also enjoy visiting national pageants, like going to nationals in November for NAM, IJM, and the I Am Pageant Powerhouse franchise. It was really cool to watch all the girls compete and do amazing and just to be there and be a supportive friend and coach for the girls. It’s been a blast being a coach and being on the opposite side. When I was doing pageants and being Miss Washington USA, we had coaches and sponsors too, and I know how much they helped me on my journey, so it’s nice to be on that side of the fence to help all these other women and girls on their journey.
HC: Can you tell us about Miss Girl Co?
IB: I started that in May of 2021, and that was something that was a spur-of-the-moment thing. In January 2021, I woke up on New Year’s thinking, “Okay, what do I want to do?” When you come off of the Miss USA stage, everyone’s always asking “What’s next? What’s next? What’s next?” And you’re kind of like “Oh I don’t know, I just got off of the Miss USA stage, this is the biggest moment of my life so far. I’ve prepared my whole entire existence for this moment.”
I always wanted to be a business owner, entrepreneur, and something I’ve always loved from being in pageantry is beauty and fashion…In May, I launched Miss Girl Co, which has been amazing. I’ve learned so much, and I’m still learning a lot about owning a business. There are so many things you don’t know until you do it. But it’s been an amazing, amazing experience, and I’m just excited to continue watching it grow.
HC: I always like to end with a fun fact! What is a fun fact about yourself?
IB: I dance and perform at Disney! I’ve danced there for about seven years now. I’ve danced in parades like Christmas Fantasy Parade, Soundsational, Pixar, Magic Happens and some of the shows as well.
I absolutely enjoyed interviewing Imani Blackmon. This is one of my favorite profiles I’ve ever done. She is truly the embodiment of breaking glass ceilings and doing it all—I mean, retired pageant queen, now coach, fashion entrepreneur, Disneyland performer AND content creator?! What can’t she do! Her Campus at UCLA is so thankful to have had the opportunity to interview such a successful woman, and we wish her nothing but the best!