Emma Dickinson applied on a whim for the title of Miss Black Colorado last March. After receiving the title, she had no idea that she’d hold it for as long as she has. Postponed from August 2020 to August 2021, Miss Black America has yet to be decided.
She wasn’t chosen not through traditional pageant means, the organization selected her after reading an essay she wrote and interviewing her remotely. That’s because this pageant is more interested in applicants’ stories and platforms than anything else. It champions the diverse and wholly unique experience of being a black woman in America.
It’s not hard to see why Dickinson was chosen, outspoken and passionate, she has no trouble discussing her story, her goals, and advocacy.
Dickinson grew up in Colorado and was adopted and raised by white parents in Highlands Ranch. Due to her unique circumstance, this made it difficult to discover her own identity.
“I was so intimidated for so long because I feel like I couldn’t relate to people because I grew up with this white family, I grew up in highlands ranch, I grew up with people telling me I sound like a white girl. I was like I need to shape my identity as a black woman and I need to tap into my culture.”
This search led to applying to Howard University, a prestigious and historically black university.
“While being there I was around the most amazing, talented, smart, beautiful black people in the world. Howard is an amazing place. It really inspired me to tap into that culture and tap into who I am as a black woman.”
Dickinson finished her degree at MSU Denver because of its affordability, graduating with a Bachelor’s in Speech Communication and a Minor in Africana Studies.
Dickinson currently works as a licensed esthetician. Her passion is helping those achieve their goals to live a healthy lifestyle, whether that is mental or physical health.
Her platform for the pageant comes from her desire to help those achieve wellness and the continued racial divide in America that has prevented black people and other minority groups from access to the same resources and care white people have long received.
“Black people struggle with so many different health issues. A lot of it is preventable if we just have access to specific education. I think it is important that we have a space for us. A place where we have black physicians and black nurses or people of color providing those services for other black people of people of color.’ Dickinson says.
Institutional racism has made the medical establishment, a place that should be safe for all, something that minorities have come to distrust. Dickinson hopes that through programs that educate minority communities about health and give them the tools to maintain a healthy lifestyle, communities of color can improve their lives.
“Our whole entire system, medical and health systems have failed minority and black people. I think providing education on how to shop healthy, how to grow your own vegetables is really important,” Dickinson said. “I think it is important to work on a legislative level and allow these people to have their own gardens, grow things organically from their backyards to nourish and teach them how to live sustainably.”
Her dream is to open up a wellness clinic that tailors to black people specifically. If she wins the pageant she will use the scholarship money to pursue an MBA in order to help her realize this dream.
Until then, she is happy about the publicity the pageant has given her to talk about equality to those willing to listen. During quarantine, she saw even more the disparities between races in the country.
“You hear people talking about how they are upset because they can’t go on a trip when communities of color are literally dying at extremely large numbers because they are essential workers, they don’t have access to certain health services. It has made me create a call to action, this pandemic has shown me people are really struggling.”
Dickinson, who has spent a lot of time thinking about her role in fighting racism, has advice for those who want to truly make a difference and advocate for equality. She says to go beyond social media and make an effort to learn about what privilege is.
“Being an able person is a privilege, being a heterosexual person is a privilege, being a white person is a privilege.” Dickinson said. “You can sit here and say I love black people, but that doesn’t make you an advocate.”
Dickinson urges people to go beyond social media, to donate to organizations you have researched and want to support. Again, at the core of the issue is education, and she encourages those to do meaningful research.
“Reading books or watching documentaries from black people and people of color, is the most important thing. You can’t advocate for something you don’t understand.”
Photo Courtesy of Emma Dickinson
