The History of Pageantry and one of our Fort Wayne Queens

By Tabitha Ervin,
Editorial Director

The history of pageantry is long and storied. It can be viewed from an outside lens to be mostly about looks, size or beauty. As a former pageant participant in high school for the Miss Michigan Teen pageant as a part of the Miss USA organization and more recently a judge for the USA National Miss Pageant, I can tell you that it's much more than beauty!

I would venture to say that as a high school student who participated, my mother wanted me to gain exposure, confidence and work on my oratorical skills. Believe me when I tell you it takes nerve and guts plus a little talent to strut your stuff whether swimsuit, ball gown or song/dance in front of an audience of strangers then answer on the spot questions about world issues that the judges will rate you on.

Pageants started around the year of 1850 as a photo contest to judge women’s beauty and have evolved over the years into a variety of beauty, talent, showmanship and scholarship as well as standing for and representing a cause in the community.

“It was not until the twentieth century that beach resorts began to hold regular beauty pageants as entertainment for the growing middle class. In 1921, in an effort to lure tourists to stay past Labor Day, Atlantic City organizers staged the first Miss America Pageant in September. Stressing that the contestants were both youthful and wholesome, the Miss America Pageant brought together issues of democracy and class, art and commerce, gender and sex — and started a tradition that would grow throughout the century to come”. (pbs.org)

Pageants provide experience and exposure whether one goes on to be a model, work on television or any other career one chooses.

I can personally say that I gained a level of confidence in public speaking and in front of crowds that suits me very well today in my current work in the community. Pageantry is giving young ladies and women the opportunity to use their voice and stand for something greater than themselves.

I was recently able to catch up with Cydney Bridges, current Miss Banks of the Wabash Queen and former Miss Fort Wayne. She was the second African American to earn this title in the history of this local pageant and has been competing in various pageants since the 4th grade.

She graduated from Carroll High School and is currently pursuing her nursing degree at Huntington University while also participating and working toward a Miss Indiana title on June 13. She is bright, smart and beautiful as well as a local mentor and role model for young people. She is also a former participant in the Unity Performing Arts Foundation Voices of Unity choir.

Our discussion centered around her journey, her platform, and her future both career and pageantry.

Ervin: Thanks for talking to me today! I know you were at the Miss Indiana USA pageant in Noblesville supporting your fellow queens this weekend and I saw that your friend KK (KendaNaing Kokonaing) won Miss Indiana Teen USA, so exciting!

So tell me about your journey in pageantry so far and what it means to you?

Bridges: I started at the age of 9 in the Miss Huntertown Pageant as a Junior Miss Contestant. At that time I was attracted to being on the stage. Over the next few years I participated in various other pageants and won the Miss Duneland Preteen Title at age 12 which was part of the Miss America Organization (MAO) then I decided to focus on volleyball while in high school. When I returned to pageantry, I did a few other pageants and then won a title after a 5 year pageant break, in March 2018 as the USA National Miss Indiana Teen titleholder and the Miss Indianapolis Black Expo Senior Queen in 2018. I also won Miss Fort Wayne at 19 years old in 2020. I had previously won the talent portion in the various pageants or received other accolades for participating. Due to the pandemic, I was able to serve in this role for 2 years and was able to participate in and support voter registration during that period of time.

I learned that my voice matters and it’s important for little black girls to see me speaking up and hearing my story. Pageants have boosted my confidence and I’ve learned that I can compete as well as gain lifelong friends.

Ervin: Let’s discuss your platform and how you decided to go with that?

Bridges: In the Miss America organization, which I am currently participating in as the Miss Banks of the Wabash title holder, it’s called social impact initiative and mine is the Power of Mentoring. I was raised in a single parent home and while my mother did great, it was also the support of my mentors such as Marshall White, Sheenah Johnson and Cookie Rutledge among others who gave me that additional support. I have personally been a camp counselor each summer at the Y and now I mentor young people with the Brandon Foundation. Once a mentee, now a mentor!

Ervin: And then tell me about the future for you by way of both career and pageantry?

Bridges: My career goal is to be a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. In the near future, when I graduate in a year with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing, my goal is to work at Riley’s Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.

In pageantry, I’m open to the future! I look to be the next Miss Indiana and then go on to compete and win Miss America.

I am also interested in creating a digital platform for mentoring.

Ervin: Thank you for your time today. Is there anything else you want people to know?

Bridges: Of course I am available for speaking engagements or events and since the Miss Indiana pageant is in June people can contact me to support on Facebook under my name Cydney Bridges and on Instagram under missindiana_missbanks.

Paula Bridges, Cydney’s “momager” has been inspired to walk this journey and support her daughter’s dreams and she encourages others to do the same even when their children have interests that are outside of the “norm” or that a parent might not know much about. “I always tell people I’m not a pageant mom but I’m supporting her dreams every step of the way and the experience and exposure has been amazing! I want to see more little brown girls being able to participate and receive scholarships”. Cydney has received about $4000 over the last two years from her participation.

To get connected to the local pageant scene look online at: missindiana.org or on Facebook at the Miss Fort Wayne page.

Also note there are various pageant organizations from the Miss America Organization, to Miss USA Organization to the USA National Miss Organization and several others.