Mahogany Pageant is one long overdue beauty contest

To the Editor:

This is in response to the column written by Margaret Hobbs about Warren County’s overabundance of pageants. Although I do agree there seems to be a new pageant every year, I do have to disagree about one thing. I don?t think there are too many.

One of the pageants she mentioned, the Mahogany Pageant, is a long overdue addition to the pageant world. There are a lot of pageants in McMinnville, but tell me, what are the statistics on Caucasian girls to non-Caucasian of becoming the next beauty queen?

As someone who has competed in several pageants, I can tell you I’ve NEVER seen a non-Caucasian girl win a pageant I participated in. Never.

How much money does a girl actually put into one of these things? Well, every girl wants a pretty dress. They all want their hair and nails done. Pedicures, fake tans. Just how many hundreds of dollars do people put into these things anyway?

I have entered my share over the years and the highest place I have EVER received is Most Photogenic and top 10. Yet, competing outside of McMinnville, I have been a third runner-up. Then, I won a model search with participants from the entire Middle Tennessee area. But here, I am considered lucky to be in the top 10. Can this be explained?

I personally would like to thank Mrs. Shauna Wiley for starting the Mahogany Pageant and for deciding to add the Latina Mahogany pageant this past year. Here there are no big names, no blond-haired, blue-eyed girls guaranteed to win. But, there is a fair chance for everyone and everyone is non-Caucasian. Thank you Mrs. Wiley for giving me the honor of winning my first pageant in McMinnville.

Sincerely,
Alicia Lara
Ms. Latina Mahogany Teen 2006
E. Airport Dr.
McMinnville