CRITICS of pageants who believe these shows promote vanity, are setting unhealthy standards of beauty and promoting looks over talent, have probably never attended the Miss Holetown Queen Of The Festival event.
On Sunday night the scores of people who braved the inclement weather to attend the 34th staging of the pageant, held at the Frederick Smith Secondary School in Trents, St James, were not only exposed to six physically gorgeous girls but also beautifully talented, intelligent and articulate women.
So much so that even after introduction, talent, swimwear, as well as evening wear and the dreaded question answer segments, it was anyone’s guess who would be the winner. In what proved to be one of the most keenly contested shows in recent years, budding social worker Miss Superstyle Shoe Shop Racquel Harewood had to fight tooth and nail to secure the title of 2016 queen.
Maybe that was why when the clock struck 12:15 a.m. and Harewood’s name was announced as queen, all she could do was shed tears of joy or relief for the overwhelming support of the audience.
Please read the full story in today’s Daily Nation, or in the eNATION edition.
