Make Sierra Leone Famous Podcast Explores Pageantry in Salone

In the eight episode of the Make Sierra Leone Famous Podcast: ‘The Beasts in Sierra Leone’s Beauty Pageants’, Our host Vickie Remoe is in a multigenerational conversation with Beauty Queens Swadu Nastasha Beckley (Miss World Sierra Leone 2011 and Sarah Solomon (Miss World Sierra Leone 2018). Together they delve into pageantry, women’s empowerment, representation, and national pride. 

The Rise of Pageantry In Sierra Leone

Pageantry in Sierra Leone is a beloved tradition enjoyed by many. From high schools and universities to communities and churches, both male and female pageants are widely followed and celebrated in Salone. 

The most famous pageantry is the Miss Sierra Leone pageant, which selects the country’s representatives for the Miss World competition. 

Since its inception in 1986, the Miss Sierra Leone pageant has paved the way for other international competitions in the country including; the Miss Universe Sierra Leone (Face of Sierra Leone), Miss Earth Sierra Leone, and Miss Supranational Sierra Leone, amongst others. 

But despite the beauty and splendor of its activities, pageantry has its own share of problems. 

Beckly highlighted that stereotypes within beauty pageants affected her ability to win competitions. Having participated in American pageants, she realized that the colour of her skin played a significant role in her chances of winning, often putting her at a disadvantage until she learnt how to use those stereotypes to her success. 

Solomon, on the other hand, mentioned that certain features of her appearance made people think she didn’t fit the typical description of a beauty queen. 

“I have always had natural hair and knock knees, and I also wear glasses.Everyone in my class was skeptical about me winning the competition.”

It didn’t stop there; Solomon shared her experience of being asked to wear a brazilian wig at the Miss World competition instead of her natural hair as she usually did. She refused and proudly wore her natural hair in a beautiful bun, standing firm in her belief that beauty comes in diverse forms.

Despite these adversities. pageantry is a powerful tool for positive change. This realization was a motivation for Solomon to sign up for Miss Sierra Leone in the first place. She recognised that girls and women in the country faced numerous issues and saw pageantry as a platform to amplify these issues and work towards solution.

Beckley also agreed that pageantry goes far beyond looking beautiful and showcasing one’s abilities. She emphasized that if you need support to bring positive solutions to society, then pageantry is worth considering. 

“Pageantry opens doors for people to listen. If you have a small business, passion for community, through pageantry, you can get all the support that you need.” Beckley said. 

Make Sierra Leone Famous Podcast is Available on Video and Audio on Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts

This episode further touched on family support for pagentries, exploitation of participants, as well as the politics that take place within beauty competitions. To catch a rewind of the episode, click on this link  to stay in tune.

A new episode of the Make Sierra Leone Famous podcast will go out this Thursday at 10:00 AM. It will be available online via YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Audiomack, so make sure to not miss it!