By Kyle Kidd
Jackson State University junior Trenity Usher was recently crowned Miss Black Mississippi USA. According to their website, the scholarship pageant is the official state preliminary for the Miss Black USA Scholarship Pageant.
“It has been an honor to be a part of this journey. I worked hard to present the best version of myself on competition day,” says Usher, who credits her work ethic and grit toward her prized outcome. “I didn’t know what the competition was going to be like, but I realized I was truly motivated, and this was something I really wanted to do. It was just fitting that I go after a pageant dedicated firmly to Black women.”
A biology pre-medicine major, Usher developed an affinity for pageantry and modeling at an early age. Usher notes that her interest grew from a lack of Black women on television screens and in magazines.
The Atlanta native says she is fueled by a strong urge to provide selfless service to her community and identify professional and personal development opportunities.
“I just became very motivated to do better for my two little brothers on my mom’s side and my little brother on my dad’s side as well. I wanted them to see that their sister is a hard worker,” Usher says. “I had to learn to manage myself and my expectations. The drive to become a better person has been with me all my life. It sticks with me and grows with me.”
Usher credits her humble beginnings as the motivation to stretch beyond her circumstances and create a future for young siblings that contrasts her experiences and creates more opportunities for their success.
A Banner Girl for JSU’s Sonic Boom of the South, Usher says she cultivates her joy from embracing leadership and confidently showcasing and sharing her gifts. She also participates in several on-campus programs, including Pre-Alumni Council, Tiger Report, and ‘JStyleU’.
The foundation of Usher’s pageant campaign is centered on the acronym ‘AMINATU’ – an ode to the fierce Nigerian warrior queen whose reign dates back to the 16th century.
With her victory, Usher sustains a rich tradition of regality, poise, and service exemplified by previous queens with her acceptance into the rank of the royal hood by the 2021-2022 Miss Black Mississippi USA, Brianna McField, who is a JSU alumna.
Mississippi State Director for Miss Black Mississippi Kristy Arrington emphasized her excitement over the tradition of former Jackson State women continuing to represent their institution at the highest level of competition, with six of the previous queens having all graduated from JSU.
“So many young ladies have matriculated through Jackson State or are currently attending Jackson State ready to represent the state of Mississippi, as well as their great institution,” says Johnson, who is also a JSU alumna. “I think it is a really cool legacy to witness these young ladies choose to create a pathway for future generations of queens who walked across the stage from JSU but represent their foundation everywhere that they may go.”
Usher will now move to the next stage of the competition representing the State of Mississippi on the national level in Washington, D.C., where over $500,000 to date has been awarded to national titleholders since 1983.
While technically, the national pageant is modeled as a competitive environment, Usher looks forward to developing a sisterhood amongst her fellow contestants. She describes this moment as an opportunity to experience and to be experienced by other like-minded individuals.
“We are all a family, and I truly appreciated that type of environment when pageant day came. We had already done so much together in preparation for it,” Usher says. “We communicated a lot and created a sisterhood I didn’t have growing up with all my brothers. I finally had somebody I could go and talk to.”
