To celebrate African American Heritage Month, the Black Student Union is holding the 52nd annual Miss Black EIU Scholarship Pageant with the theme “A Diamond of the Season.”

Since its commencement in 1971, the pageant serves to celebrate African American culture and accomplishments.

Seven women compete this year to hold the crown of Miss Black EIU 2025.

The seven contestants are: Alaina Collins, a junior health science major; Aaniyah Hampton, a sophomore health science major; Angie Jenkins, a junior mass communication major; Anna Jones, a freshman finance major; Jamey Kane, a junior biological sciences major; Arnezia Powers, a junior mathematics teacher education major; and Drew Williams, a senior biological sciences major.

We asked each of the contestants some questions about the pageant.

Why did you want to be a contestant in the Miss Black EIU Pageant?

Collins: “I desired to participate in the pageant as expressing my culture and the beauty of being Black is liberating. I believe the diversity of culture and character that comes with being Black is passed down, and that shows how it transcends time. The thickness and fullness of my hair, my features and my body that have been rejected by society are beautiful, and accepting that did not happen overnight. I have learned so much from the story of my life till this day, and I want to share how it makes me who I am. My mind, body and soul are Black excellence.”

Hampton: “I wanted to be a contestant for the pageant because I believe it’s a great platform to showcase my talents and advocate for those who are dealing with grief.”

Jenkins: “I decided to become a contestant for Miss Black EIU because I was always interested in the growth of the small minority on this campus that is the Black community. Miss Black EIU is not a regular pageant focusing on beauty; it is a pageant of understanding and honoring your heritage and knowing where you came from. I hope to take away knowing more about myself and understanding who I am by respecting my upbringing.”

Jones: “I wanted to be a contestant because I’ve been making my first year based on branching out and trying new things. I have never been in a pageant before so I though the opportunity would be great to experience and so far it has been.”

Kane: “I wanted to be in the Miss Black EIU pageant because I’ve always admired how the pageant uplifts Black women and celebrates our intelligence, culture and talents. This was something I felt a strong pull to be a part of. I also wanted to push myself out my comfort zone and put myself out there more.”

Powers: “I feel the pageant is a great way for me to network and make connections with people, which will open the door for me to be able to impact more people both here on campus and later in life as well.”

Williams: “The pageant last year caught my attention, and I really admired how the girls were able to show the campus a deeper side of them and represent their culture at the same time. I also wanted to be able to do the same and use this platform to show the campus who I am and inspire others using my platform.”

What do you want to take away from the pageant?

Collins: “I hope to take away friendships that I have made with my pageant sisters. There is beauty, courage and talent within all of them, and that is testament to the power of Black women, so you can imagine what happens when we unite.”

Hampton: “I hope to gain new experiences, build lasting friendships and further my personal and professional growth.”

Jenkins: “Throughout my pageant process so far, I have been surrounded by my pageant sisters, and they have been such a blessing to me. They helped me better my understanding on what I am trying to embody to the pageant. Win or lose, I hope to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for myself, and I hope to find a power that is hidden within me.”

Jones: “I hope to take away having more confidence to speak in larger public settings like this to be able to better communicate any ideas I may have with others.”

Kane: “I hope to walk away from this pageant with lifelong friendships, more confidence as well as to have better public speaking skills. Most importantly, I hope to inspire others to embrace their individuality and feel an urge to partake in this once in a lifetime opportunity of joining the Miss Black EIU scholarship pageant.”

Power: “This pageant has allowed me to build my confidence and allowed me to learn a lot I put myself while also pushing myself to do things I never thought I could. I want to take all these things away from the pageant and continue to build on to them as I continue to grow.”

Williams: “I hope that I’ll be able to learn from my pageant sisters, not only about themselves and their journeys, but I know they’re able to teach me more about myself. I also hope to gain a new sense of confidence because this is something pretty new for me.”

The pageant will be held in the Grand Ballroom in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Tickets bought in advance will cost $10, and tickets bought the day of will cost $15. Formal attire is encouraged.

Cam’ron Hardy can be reached at 581-2812 or at cahardy@eiu.edu.