Little Miss Black US of A continues to inspire young girls with annual pageant 

By Aria Brent 
AFRO Staff Writer 
abrent@afro.com

The Little Miss Black US of A pageant has returned to Maryland to inspire the next generation of young Black girls seeking to serve their communities. On July 26 to 27, the Hoff Theater, located on the campus of University of Maryland, will be full of poised young ladies and Black girl magic.

Each year, the event features girls ages two to 17 as they showcase their beauty, intellect and talent in a competitive environment.

Girls from all across the nation come to compete in the annual pageant and one queen from each age group is crowned for the year. The competition will be scored based on a series of factors including attire, an on-stage question, an interview with the judges and their creative expression in the “exuding personality” category.

The 2024 Little Miss Black US of A Jr., Taylin Glascoe, spoke with the AFRO ahead of the big event to discuss what the world of pageantry has done for her. 

“Being in pageants has taught me to reach for the stars, to be respectful and to walk with pride,” said the young queen. “Beauty comes from the heart, not just the outside. I’ve learned to be a role model and a leader.”

Glascoe is a native of Baltimore and won the junior crown last year with little to no prior experience in pageants. In her position, she’s been able to serve her community, rub elbows with elected officials and develop her leadership skills. As Glascoe prepares to hand her crown down to the next qualifying queen, she and her family reflect on why it’s important that these opportunities be presented to young Black girls.  

“It’s important that young Black girls participate in pageants because it can help them learn and develop life skills and it also helps build confidence,” said Maggie Fleming, Glascoe’s grandmother and manager. “These young ladies are overcoming stereotypes and developing leadership skills that can help them pursue opportunities they never dreamed to be possible.”

The pageant has a plethora of sponsors including Pageant Planet; Justice for Black Girls; The Baltimore County Corvette Club; Russell Advisory Group and Stacy Jones Foundation–the presenter of the varying cash scholarships awarded to each of the winners. 

Upon being crowned, each queen gets a cash scholarship along with an official rhinestone sash, official gold crown, an invitation to walk in New York Fashion Week, a photoshoot in Times Square, car magnets, autograph cards, a photoshoot with her sister queens, a feature on the Little Miss Black US of A website and the chance to be featured in a promo campaign. 

Although Glascoe isn’t allowed to compete and renew her crown she’s excited to attend the pageant to support and encourage this year’s contestants. Fleming noted that pageants are a great way to encourage young Black girls to reach for new heights and strive for excellence. 

“Pageantry encourages our girls to excel in all they do and it gives them something to be proud of,” said Fleming. “It presents an opportunity for them to put themselves out there and be the best versions of themselves.”

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