Miss Big Bold Beautiful Woman 2018 Claraion Hill and second place winner Kyla Williams
Prakriti Adhikari/The Lion's Roar

The university’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter crowned junior early childhood education major Claraion Hill as its third annual Miss Bold Beautiful Woman. The pageant was held in the War Memorial Student Union Ballroom on Wednesday, March 28 at 7 p.m.

The competition was judged by Interim Director for the Office for Student Engagement Angela James, Miss Black Louisiana USA 2018 Makeva Armant and alumnus Jeremy Lloyd.

During the pageant, Hill and junior athletic training major Kyla Williams were judged on sports wear performance, swimwear performance, talent round performance, questions and answer round and evening gown presentation.

Sophomore health systems management major and President of NAACP Jasmine Bickham explained the purpose of organizing the pageant. According to her, the competition was organized to “showcase our full-figured women as they compete in multiple categories to be crowned Miss BBW.”

“This event was created to empower beautiful women of all walks of life, giving them the chance to make a big and bold statement, that they slay in all ways,” said Bickham.

In the event, women wearing a size 12 and above participated. Winner Hill was ecstatic after being crowned by former Miss BBW Georgette Williams.

“It’s great,” said Williams. “It’s something I never thought will actually happen.”

Lloyd was impressed with Hill’s poem performed during the talent portion.

“As a judge, it was hard because both two girls, they both did amazing job,” said Lloyd. “So, I think for me, personally, the talent portion and the overall ending portion was great. Their poem was great.”

Williams was motivated overcome her stage fear by participating in the pageant. She expressed how she learned new things through the pageant.

“It taught me a lot of things as far as speech and how to answer on-stage questions as well as carry myself as a woman,” said Kyla Williams. “We both stepped out of our comfort zone, and it actually has opened up my mind and the way I view a lot of things.”

Kyla Williams performed a poem during the talent round.

“I did this for self awareness and to build up my self-esteem,” said Hill. “Through the whole process, it was showing me how everyone is beautiful in their own way.”

Hill was also awarded the “Miss BBW 2018 Miss Charitable” for the charity funding she did to provide laptops for graduating seniors going to college. She talked about working in the field of childhood education during her year of reign as Miss BBW.

“I will spend a lot of time in the early childhood education,” said Hill. “In my first event that I will have as Miss BBW in ‘Once Upon a Time in the Park,’ we will provide books for kids. I will be working to spread education and help children.”