Ebony is a pageant goddess with wins across the board. Her experience and gorgeous winning smile will make her a force to be reckoned with in the Miss Summit International 2024. Good luck Ebony!
You can vote virtually for Ebony by scrolling down to the bottom of this bio. Don’t forget!
So, how did you get into pageantry? What made you want to compete?
I have been involved in pageants since I was about 4 or 5 years old. Around the same time, I had the dream of being a campus queen at a Historically Black College/University in America. After fulfilling that dream being the 88th Miss Virginia State University, I was constantly encouraged to compete in pageants. Fast forward to my current title as Miss Summit United States 2024, I choose to compete in my system because mission reflects my character and one of the prize packages is a Barbie doll made in the likeness of the international titleholders. That was enough for me to commit to compete.
What does beauty mean to you? It’s more than just looks, right?
Right! Beauty is certainly more than looks. I firmly believe that beauty is how delightful you are to others and yourself in spite of misfortunes that may try to dull or sour your identity. In that, you find your uniqueness and you aim to emit joy. Similar to stained glass, you may be fragmented but you still allow light to shine through. And the colorfulness helps people take you in more delicately.
What makes you special? What sets you apart from the other contestants?
I am confidently authentic. You will never have to question how genuine I am; unless, you had already predetermined I was something negative in your heart. Currently, I am experiencing a myriad of health issues due to a reproductive and infertility disorder called PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). Among many symptoms, the one that daunts me the most while preparing for my pageant is excessive weight gain. Though I have challenges with body dysmorphia, I have been able to empower myself through sharing with others how I am learning to appreciate my body. To be this vulnerable in this societal climate is bold and people’s opinions are so unimportant to how I show up for myself and to motivate others.
If you win, how would you use your title to help others?
As the next Miss Summit International, I would like to globally share my platform “Beauty & the PCOS” to emphasize the glee we experience when we feel beautiful in making healthy choices, especially as natural born women. I know sometimes we still feel unseen and unheard and I want to ensure we’re not forgotten through advocating women’s reproductive health. I would like to host seasonal pageant workshops in different areas (in America or other countries) to teach branding and interview techniques. Overall, I desire to advance my philanthropic efforts and emphasize peace.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve learned from being in pageants?
The art of color theory and styling is more important than we realize. Who knew something so mundane would be so important? I recently judge a pageant interview and I forgot how colors and outfits can either excite the judge or make us, as contestants, appear less interesting. What we wear should compliment us at all times and it makes being a beauty queen expressive in subtle, non-verbal ways.
How do you deal with people who might say mean things?
You know… I really love the movie ‘Miss Congeniality’ because I see myself in the character Sandra Bullock plays. I grew up ready to defend myself, and sometimes others, at the drop of an insult. As I have blossomed into an adult, I realize that others only treat others in the way they treat themselves. Though I do want to strike back, I respond in assertive, polite ways to clarify I don’t tolerate bullying or I ignore mean remarks because that’s how I treat myself.
Tell us about a time something amazing happened during a pageant!
I was really amazed when I was acknowledged and recognized by my peers as the most congenial in 2021 and 2022. I was shocked! If anything, that award means more to me than winning because I am fulfilling an essential part of someone’s life. It’s important to me that other women experience a kind-hearted and energetic individual who cheers them on. It resulted in a global nomination as Miss Congeniality for the 2024 Global Beauty Awards. I couldn’t be happier to beat the stigma that Miss Congeniality doesn’t win.
What kind of person do you think does well in pageants?
The person who is determined to be a difference in the world and they don’t stop with pageants. In actuality, pageantry is just the beginning. You know, the well-known, timeless, and famous celebrities didn’t need the ultimate title to impact our lives. Lynda Carter, Oprah Winfrey, Gal Gadot, Halle Berry, Michelle Pfeiffer, Vanessa Williams, and others are few who used pageants as launching pads to be dynamic women.
Being in a pageant means a lot of people are watching. How do you stay yourself through it all?
Honestly, I remind myself that I don’t want to be like anyone else. My superpower is being me. Someone else’s superpower is being them. No one can walk like me, talk like me, make people laugh like me, or show up as me. That’s how I stay true to myself and I want others who see me to be inspired to be the same.
What do you dream of doing in the future, pageant world or not?
That’s a really question and I feel like every time I am asked that, I think of various responses. I know for a fact I dream of being a wife and a mom. I think there’s something special about contributing to society in intimate ways like encouraging your spouse and bringing up little humans. On a career level, I would love to be a motivational speaker since my biology marks shot down my dreams of being a pediatrician or marine biologist. A 4th grader told me, in his matter-of-fact tone, after reading to his class, “You have things to say and the world needs to hear it.” I agree. They need hope and I have that to give them through my storytelling skills.
