DESHAUNA BARBER IS #BlackGirlMagic

Jun 20, 2016Chevy DTU, Chicago Defender, McKenzie Marshall, NNPA0 comments

McKenzie Marshall
My president is Black, my First Lady is Black, and now my Miss USA is Black!

Deshauna Barber served in the military as Logistics Commander for the 988th Quarter- master Detachment Unit at Fort Meade, Md. She has now broke the barrier of being the only woman in Miss USA beauty pageant history to win the title while also being in the military. She joined the groundbreaking eight other black women who have won the title of Miss USA since the pageant’s start in 1952. Out of 64 years of annual pageants only nine winners have been Black. Wow! What does that say about the beauty of the Black woman?

When young, educated and dark-skinned women are not celebrated in the media, Barber is the epitome of #BlackGirlMagic. When she won, WE all won. Every Black girl in America dusted their shoulders that night as she was crowned Miss USA.

Barber has a degree in Business management from Virginia State University. Yes, Miss USA attended a HBCU, which also confirms that no matter what college you attend, if you work hard you can achieve anything. Upon graduation she relocated to Washington, D.C. where she worked as an IT Analyst for the U.S. Department of Commerce.

This moment in history is another reminder of how our beauty as Black women goes far beyond our physical appearance. Yes, her beautiful chocolate skin and her amazing smile was easy on the eyes, but it was her strength and ability to articulate her beliefs that not only won us over but the judges too.

Her platform focused on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder amongst men and women in the military. She dedicated her entire platform to her military friends, bringing awareness to how important this issue is. The black community is notorious for not addressing issues that focus on mental health, but Barber stood up for what she believed in.

Barber is a symbol of how powerful Black women are and can be! This moment of #BlackGirlMagic will always be cherished. It is our strength and determination that brought us this far and will push us even further.

Thank you Deshauna Barber – Miss USA 2016.

McKenzie Marshall

Fellow, Chicago Defender

McKenzie T. Marshall is a senior journalism major with a concentration in broadcasting at Howard University. McKenzie is a contributing writer for “The Hilltop,” and a member of Howard’s chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. She also interned at the Washington, D.C., bureau of the BBC in the spring of 2016. McKenzie’s ultimate career goal is to be an on-air news reporter. One day, she wants to host her own television show focusing on politics and foreign news.

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