The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) Howard University section crowned its first-ever royal court during its inaugural pageant on Feb. 28 in Blackburn Digital Auditorium, introducing a new tradition centered on leadership, service and sisterhood.
The pageant was designed to reflect NCNW’s historic mission of uplifting Black women through education, mentorship and community impact, while aligning Howard’s section with similar collegiate sections nationwide. Organized by student leaders as both a legacy project and a structural expansion of the organization, the event reimagined pageantry on campus by prioritizing purpose over performance and establishing a foundation for future courts to build on.
When the organization announced its inaugural pageant, Kennedy Wingster, junior psychology major and criminology minor from Savannah, Georgia, said she felt it was exactly where she was meant to be.
“I knew God was telling me that was next for me,” said Wingster.
She reflected on the moment Howard’s NCNW section announced their first-ever pageant.
“The mission of NCNW aligns so closely with my own personal values and passions,” Wingster said.
She highlighted the values of education, mentorship and community service.
“I saw this opportunity as more than just a title,” she said.
This spring, the NCNW added a new chapter to the campus’s legacy of leadership. The NCNW pageant arrived with purpose, built up from a summer of brainstorming between student leaders who wanted to leave a permanent mark on this organization before finishing their careers on campus.
Janiya Holder, a graduating senior health science major, chemistry minor from Queens, New York is the Big Events Director for the section.
For Holder, the pageant was more than just a “run-of-the-mill” event; it was a strategic move to align the Howard section of NCNW with the broader organization.
“Talking with our president, Lauren Lipscomb, over the summer, she had really mentioned that it would be nice if we could start partaking in a pageant,” Holder said.
She explained that many NCNW sections at different colleges have royal courts, so they wanted the Howard section to have one as well.
Holder took the lead on the logistics, which she describes as a whirlwind of “spearheading the
applications, interviews, making sure their practices were good [and] securing the venues.”
The timeline was tight, leaving the contestants less than a month to prepare their talents and platforms.
“I would definitely say for me, it feels like a good parting gift to the section, being that I am graduating,” Holder said.
Holder said working behind the scenes requires long nights, patience and perseverance, but seeing the contestants grow from rehearsal to the stage makes the experience feel “full circle” and deeply rewarding.
The journey to the crown required a level of vulnerability that Wingster, the newly
crowned inaugural Miss NCNW, initially found daunting.
“One thing I learned about myself throughout the rehearsal and preparation process was how resilient and adaptable I can be,” Wingster said.
Wingster added that pageantry requires traits such as confidence, preparedness and vulnerability.
“I was initially unsure if I was the right person to represent these qualities. There were moments of nerves and pressure, but the process pushed me to trust my voice,” Wingster said.
The pageant was intentionally designed to reflect the organization’s historic pillars rather than standard beauty metrics.
“Our queens, they directly correspond to our pillars as an organization,” Holder said.
Holder said Miss 1935 represents the organization’s founding and its commitment to preserving NCNW’s history and legacy beyond Howard, while Miss Purple and White reflects sisterhood and the close bonds fostered within the organization.
When the lights finally dimmed in the Blackburn Forum and the show began, the room was filled with beaming faces of proud supporters.
“Everyone was screaming, and it was really just like anticipation, excitement. It was confidence coming off of the contestants. It was all just beautiful,” Holder said.
For Wingster, hearing her name called amidst the applause was a surreal confirmation of her hardwork. She described the moment as surreal, and the first thing she thought of in that moment was her parents.
“All I could think was, if they were watching and if they were proud. I wouldn’t have made it this far without them,” she said.
Despite the competitive nature of the title, both women emphasized that the true success was the bond created backstage.
“Typically, I shy away from the spotlight out of fear of conflict or just making mistakes,” Wingster confesses. “The other contestants and members of the organization helped me navigate around my fear.”
Wingster said that support from other contestants throughout rehearsals helped shift her perspective on pageantry and competition, reinforcing her belief that when women uplift one another, everyone benefits
As the first NCNW royal court begins its reign, the focus turns to longevity. Wingster is already moving forward with her platform, Girl Meets W.O.R.L.D., aiming to mentor young girls to see their potential reflected to them. Meanwhile, Holder leaves the organization with a reminder of the intentionality required to keep the tradition alive.
“I definitely want the focus areas to remain a constant,” Holder said.
Wingster echoes that sentiment of looking forward, grounded in the community they cultivated.
“By the end, I wasn’t focused on winning or losing, but instead the community I was building within NCNW and the community I planned to build through my platform,” Wingster said
Copy edited by Kennedi Bryant