There’s a rule in pageantry that most competitors and coaches know about but never speak out loud: The default beauty standard is white. Although Miss America, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, and Miss Universe have crowned a handful (of) non-white women, most of these women wear “pageant hair”—flowing weaves and extensions with bouncy waves and curls. As a competitor, I wasn’t one to rock the boat. Even with an “acceptable” look, I had to listen to photographers and hairstylists make backhanded comments about my hair, (and) how difficult it was to style and blend with extensions. Pageants did help me feel empowered, but they could also make me feel dejected, especially when it came to my hair. (Glamour Magazine, 2019)

• Ashley Alese Edwards is a journalist and former Miss Long Island who placed third-runner-up at Miss New York USA. She lives in New York City.

Euro-centric beauty standards discriminate against many women of color, especially surrounding texturism (hair texture discrimination). 

While many were outraged that this issue is still ongoing, many also discussed the need for better training at beauty schools.

“The problem is beauty schools. I’m finishing an aesthetician degree so I can do fx makeup, and our makeup teacher said they aren’t going to teach us colour theory in dark skin because it “isn’t very common,’” one tweeted. (Stylist.co.uk)

The lack of resources made available for people without Eurocentric features creates inequalities for POC models.