Tahira Gilyard, the 2022 Miss Black USA winner, visited the University on Monday, January 9, met with President Mason and took a campus tour. It was the first time Gilyard had returned to the Van Ness Campus since winning the pageant, which was sponsored by UDC and aired live on Fox Soul from the UDC Theatre of the Arts, in August 2022. Gilyard expressed her gratitude for UDC’s support and said that winning Miss Black USA here was a life-changing moment.
“Not only was I able to represent my state of New York on a national stage live on Fox Soul, but I was also able to represent the many Black women across America who possess talent, beauty and intelligence,” she said.
The reigning Miss University of the District of Columbia, Kendra Williams, leads a campus tour at the UDC Student Center during Miss Black USA, Tahira Gilyard’s visit on January 9, 2022.
“The moment was even more special taking place at this University because I grew up wanting to attend an HBCU,” Gilyard said. “However, due to an unforeseen sickness in my family, I ended up going to undergrad in New York to stay close to them.
Gilyard was born and raised in Spanish Harlem and is a second-year law student at Fordham University School of Law. She advised fellow students “learn who they are.”
“Societal pressures come in many forms. They include but are not limited to social media, peer pressure and even political influences,” she said. “Before competing for the title of Miss Black USA, I had to grasp an understanding of who I was to put myself in a position to lead others.”
“We all have something that makes us special. Find it, cultivate it, and share it despite any lack of representation or support. You can do it,” she said. “The first step to success is taking one. However, find out who you are so that you can take an intentional step in the right direction for yourself. You will help plenty of people along the way by just authentically living in your truth.”
The Miss Black USA pageant was founded in 1987 to provide a national stage for participants to showcase their unique talents and beauty and win scholarship opportunities. The event boasts that the Miss Black USA pageant is the first and largest scholarship pageant for women of color. For more information please click here.