economymono_bz65a7Richmond, Texas, United States, 21st May 2024, King NewsWire – Kelly Sargeant, an official interview coach for the preliminaries of Miss USA, initiated a forum where aspiring titleholders could speak up regarding their concerns with the pageant industry. She opened the conversation with, “We don’t know the facts surrounding the allegations associated with the Miss USA pageant, however, we do know that there’s abuse of power, sexual harassment, sexual and physical abuse every day, in every industry and that there’s a culture of silence. This is a safe place where we want to hear from you and offer you guidance on how to navigate the challenges that we know are ahead, and even those that we don’t.”
Sponsors and Directors from various pageant systems were on the call and offered their encouragement. Below are a few highlights
“Anything you do in life, if you’re not celebrating who you are, it’s not where you should be. If you’re not leaving an impact, it’s not where you should be. A poem that I read to my contestants, and I think will help a lot is, “A Return to Love by Mariam Williamson.” Ché White, Director of Miss San Antonio USA and Miss San Antonio Teen USA
“You have so many safety avenues and that’s the purpose of this call. Here are actions that you can take to ensure that you are going to be safer moving forward. You are going to be validated moving forward. You are going to be heard moving forward.” Shelby Patterson, Esquire
“Sexual harassment happens even to the women in positions where they are the protectors. We MUST learn to speak up for ourselves. When we brush off a behavior that is uncomfortable to us, that shows the one with the bad behavior, that you are ok with it, if you don’t speak up. It’s not easy, but we all have to learn to be our own hero.” Amy Cummins, Retired Master Peace Officer, President of Fort Bend County Crime Victim Response Team and Survivor.
“If you are afraid to speak up about anything, your directors and sponsors can get you the help that you need. You are not alone. We can get your concerns to the powers that be, if we know. Directors are there to help every girl and they’ve never not answered my call.” Mariah Cheney, Runway Coach
“As we mature as women our “NOs” become a lot stronger. When you are in an industry where your beauty is highlighted, we must stand up and make our “NOs” firm and not timid.” Wilma Shaw, Master’s in Human Services, Certified Trauma Professional, Founder of The Lotus Case Management Agency and Survivor
“When you are out there in the community looking for sponsors, never jeopardize your values because no amount of money or connections can change the value of who you are as a woman.” Natalia Castillo, Director of Miss TX Latina
Join the conversation! The next call is scheduled on Friday, June 14, 2024, at 6pm Central.
#wewillbeHEARD
#weareNOTsilenced
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City: Richmond
State: Texas
Country: United States
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