- The winner of a black beauty pageant is biracial
- Now people are criticizing her because her skin is too light
- The new queen feels taken aback
The winner of the 2017 Miss Black University of Texas pageant turned out to be 22-year-old Rachael Malonson, a biracial beauty who is pursuing her degree in broadcasting and journalism.
Now the newly crowned queen is facing harsh backlash from critics, who claim she is “not black enough”.
Social media has been flooded with hundreds of comments regarding Malonson’s win, criticizing that judges turned their preferences towards a very light-skinned contestant.
Malonson’s father is black and her mother is white, giving her a more Hispanic than African-American look.
She feels let down by the criticism. “I didn't realize that even after I received the title I would still have to explain myself, that there was still ignorant people out there who are asking me to prove myself. Just because I have straight hair and olive skin tone doesn't mean I'm not black... I don't have to look a certain way to be black,” she said.
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Malonson with her brother.
The event was hosted by the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, which has been historically black. They announced Malonson’s crown through their Twitter account.
“Her father may be black but socially I see she doesn't even claim it unless when it's convenient for her. That's that s*** I don't like,” one angry Twitter user posted.
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Yet others have defended Malonson. Ironically, this issue has made her confront her life-long insecurity with her mixed heritage. “For me, I've always had to battle "I'm not black enough." But to not just place, but win the title is truly rewarding',” she commented.
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