The Iota Sigma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. hosted its annual Miss Black and Gold Pageant on Saturday, Oct. 8 in the Ceddia Union Building (CUB).

The brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha chose the theme, “A Candle in the Dark: She Who Liberates” so they could shine light on a dark situation by using different women of the Shippensburg University campus, said Kyle Morris, host of the Miss Black and Gold Pageant 2016.

“Due to the recent issues in the media that have actually been going on for centuries, we now have social media, which is a way to document issues that were not public knowledge in the past,” Morris said.

Student Steven Owens said the theme was chosen so they could honor all women who are affected by domestic violence and raise awareness for the #SayHerName social media campaign, which pays tribute to black women affected by police brutality.

There were seven women who took part in the pageant: Shakera Jenkins, Ronnia Tate, Paige Bankhead-Lewis, Shadiyah Payne, Briana Green, Roneka Jones and Fatemah Butler. Each woman was given a candle number that they represented.

The pageant consisted of four different segments: business attire, swimsuit, talent and the ballroom/interview portion. During the talent segment each contestant dedicated a portion of her talent to a meaningful cause and issue that people are facing everywhere.

“The Miss Black and Gold Pageant is about empowering women, and it is beautiful that men would host a program that empowers women, and not just black women, because it is not relegated to any specific woman, but to say that they see the richness beyond the physical piece,” said Diane Jefferson, director of Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA).

For the talent portion, contestants shared monologues, poems, dances and other forms of expression. During one of the performances, one of the contestants had 16 women on stage and each one wore a shirt with a letter from the “Black Lives Matter Movement.”

On the back of their T-shirts was #SayHerNameBland, a tribute to Sandra Bland, who died while in police custody in Texas in 2015.

During the ballroom/interview portion, each contestant was presented with the same question: “In the wake of the current movement for the black lives, how can solidarity be properly incorporated into the movement, so that this generation can keep pushing forward?”

“When we come together we have to have a set plan. We have to go through the right channels and follow the right protocol,” Jones said in her response.

“If you notice the pageant is not just about how you look in your dress. It is about your talent; what you see in yourself that you can share with the campus at large,” Jefferson said.

Alpha Phi Alpha awarded each office that advocates for students and their rights with the Candle in the Dark Illumination award at the pageant. A representative from each office spoke to the audience about the services they offer to students.

Jenkins won Miss Black, Butler won Miss Gold and Green won Miss Black and Gold.

“I really applaud these guys for taking the time out to let women know that they are truly queens because not everyone does that, and we as women get lost sometimes, and are not able to uplift ourselves,” Jefferson said.

Many students anticipated the Miss Black and Gold Pageant and the excitement it brings.

“I was a part of helping out, so I was really involved with the entire pageant, but my favorite part was the dance and interview segment,” senior Kalynn Irving said.

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