I didnt do anything I was supposed to do this weekend. I am at the point now where a year of school straight with only a weekend long break is starting to get to me. Thanksgiving can’t come fast enough. So I decided to do nothing this weekend. Nothing but photograph something I love: women. I love women. I especially love Black women, so I decided to surround myself with their beauty, poise, and elegance this weekend at the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Miss Black and Gold Scholarship Pageant and the Miss Africa Mizzou pageant.
While eating dinner with Joe McNally last week, we discussed one of my favorite photographers, Gordon Parks. McNally explained to me that many dont remember that Parks was a great fashion Photographer as well as a documentary photographer. ”Mainly because he adored women,” Joe told me. Well Gordon, I wished I could have met you before you passed so I could get some of those moves from you. I had a great time at both of the competitions.
Miss Black and Gold Scholarship Pageant was first introduced at the 1976 Alpha Phi Alpha national convention in New York city where contestant Denise Smith of Georgia State University won the first crown. Since 76, many regions sponsor scholarship pageant to provide financial support for young women in college. This past weekend, Miss Alpha Eta from the St. Louis ctiy-wide chapter won first place. I was in the dressing room before the event started and walked around taking some pre-pageant pictures and noticed Miss AH’s quiet attractiveness. She rocked the pageant, but it was an extremely close competition. All of the women did well and any of them could have got my first place vote. I love women. 
To my knowledge, Miss Africa Mizzou is the first pageant our African Students Association has ever and and it was well-organized (shout out to Patricia Vewenda). I love women. :-) The Miss Africa Mizzou not only had beautiful women on stage, but also had plenty in the audience. Goodness. They were so fine. I had to harass my frat who has been holding out on me in this beautiful woman reserve. Thanks Andom. This traitor is in one of the pictures below with a beautiful woman. Ever heard of sharing brother? I love women. There was one who especially caught my attention. I’m talking about I heard a combination of “Imagination” by Earth, Wind, and Fire and “African Queen” by 2Face Idibia when I saw her. This doesn’t happen to me often so its worthy of being put on blast on my blog. I love women. My homegirl K-Kay Moore also participated and earned mad props from me as she personally created all the clothing she was wearing. She’s Miss Liberia in the images below.
I can go on and on about this topic but you can check out the images and you try to guess who my secret crush is. I love women. Thanks for the inspiration Gordon. enjoy.
2 Comments
November 10, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Jealous at the mastery of technique and inspired at the same time. Damn fine job.
November 16, 2009 at 12:35 am
Loved this series! You captured the elegance, regalness, and character of these women. Nice job with the flashwork, too. I am envious…