Hy-Lo News has launched the series “The Road to the 2025 Miss Black Florida USA Scholarship Pageant.” We’ll be Profiling Contestants Competing in the Miss; Ms/Mrs and Teen Divisions of the MBFLUSA Pageant.
Nija Harden, the reigning Miss Black St. Petersburg USA, has embraced competing in the Miss Black Florida USA Scholarship pageant as a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Harden decided to compete in the Miss Black Florida USA Scholarship Pageant during a time when she felt lost. She entered the pageant as part of her journey toward self-discovery and purpose. Harden said that she had lost her passion for many things but the pageant came as a sign and an opportunity to reconnect with her purpose. Hy-Lo News Publisher, Janey Tate, speaks with Nija Harden about her platform, how she regained her passion, and why the Miss Black Florida USA Organization is an important safe space for Black women and teens.
All interview question responses were edited for clarity and grammar.
Janey Tate: Why did you decide to compete in the Miss Black Florida USA Scholarship Pageant?
Nija Harden: When I stumbled upon the ad to apply for Miss Black Florida, I was in a season of my life where I felt lost and had lost my passion for many things I once had. I thought it was a sign, as I had always wanted to do a pageant, and I felt it would be a great opportunity to learn a lot about myself while also improving many skills that will help me in my future.
JT: Where are you originally from, and how has your upbringing impacted who you are today?
NH: I am representing my hometown of St. Petersburg, where I was born and raised. St. Petersburg runs deep into my family history for generations on my mother’s and father’s sides. My paternal great-great-grandfather, Sidney Harden Sr., opened the first Black-owned grocery in south St. Petersburg in the 1940s. His grocery store was held in high regard by the community and still is to this day despite no longer being open. St. Petersburg may not be considered a small city by outside standards, but it can definitely feel like one growing up there. Most people, unless they have traveled there or to the surrounding areas, won’t even recognize the name, as we are often grouped as part of Tampa or Clearwater despite being our own city. You tend to go to school and grow up seeing the same people from daycare to high school graduation and possibly even college. St. Petersburg is a beautiful place with a rich history, and I love everything about my city. It is a place where community will always band together to support one another; we do not turn our back. It has taught me to always extend grace and kindness to everyone, to persevere beyond what’s just set in front of you, to never turn your back on the people who care for you and have been there for you, and to remember your history. St. Petersburg also gave me my fire of ambition. I consider myself a small-town girl with a big-city heart. I feel like I constantly saw so many people stunted in life by the lack of options St. Petersburg had, so it becomes easy to fall into a role that leaves you stuck there and unable to grow and venture out.
JT: What is your pageant platform, and why did you choose it?
NH: My platform, “Empowerment: Bridging Gaps,” is meant to help bridge the gaps seen in minority communities when it comes to being able to effectively navigate the legal and healthcare systems. These are two very complex systems, and they are hard to understand despite the fact that they affect so many people’s lives and a person will have to use them at least once in their life. As a person who has spent time working in both, the thing I see most is people being buried by these systems due to a lack of understanding and knowledge to navigate. It shouldn’t be that a person who is trying to fight cancer is also having to deal with fighting their insurance company to get their medications or go to proper and accessible specialists, or that an ex-convict feels as if they are continually being punished after serving their debt to society due to the inability to find a stable job after release. I want people to feel confident when they need to navigate these systems and be able to take advantage of the resources available to them so they can take control of their health and their life, no matter the circumstances.
JT: Who are the people who have helped you most on your journey to win the state pageant, and what does that mean to you?
NH: I don’t know if I would be able to name specifics on people who have helped me the most because there have been so many that I have seen to be in my corner and support me throughout this process. There is no way I would have been able to make it even this far without the help of so many people. I have received support from my job by allowing me to free some of my schedule, from people in my community who have offered monetary donations and physical support, and from my family and friends who have sat through every breakdown and listened to me badgering for their opinion on one thing or another. My community has really shown up for me via donations, sharing information, and connecting me with people to help me.
JT: What will you be performing for the talent portion of the state competition, and why?
NH: I will be performing an original monologue giving an inside look into the mind of a person going through a panic attack. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety and panic disorder when I was in 7th grade. Anytime I tell that to someone who doesn’t have anxiety or is unfamiliar, they always ask, “What does it feel like?” A panic attack or anxiety attack is a hard feeling to describe because it’s more intense than the normal feelings of anxiety everyone gets and does not always have a clear trigger. When I was first diagnosed and started going to therapy, my family, like many POC families, did not talk much about mental health. Don’t get me wrong; my mother always made sure we realized we could come to her judgment-free anytime, but I had to teach my family how to notice when I was on the verge of an attack, how to ground me when I am having one, and how to avoid one from starting. It was stressful, and I just wanted someone to understand how I was feeling, but they did. Most people think it’s as easy as just breathing and calming yourself down, but it’s not, and becoming calm can be an uphill battle. So, with this monologue, I want to give people an inside look at what happens in the brain of a person having a panic attack.
JT: What are you most looking forward to about the Miss Black Florida USA statewide competition?
NH: I am looking forward to seeing all the girls shine like the brightest stars they are. We have a group chat, and I love hearing all the girls’ excitement for pageant weekend and hearing about their prep journeys. I can’t wait to see everything come together.
JT: What have you learned about yourself on your journey to win the state title?
NH: I have learned how much I benefit from planning out everything on my schedule. Along with anxiety, I have Major Depressive Disorder, and mixing those two, I tend to get easily distracted and overwhelmed, which does not mix well for a person with high ambitions and an itch for trying new things. Keeping a plan allows me to avoid having too much on my plate and makes sure I get to everything I need to, so that I may be able to put my best foot forward in all areas.
JT: The Miss Black USA and Miss Black Florida USA Scholarship Pageant organizations champion the celebration of Black women and their service, education, and commitment to improving themselves and their community. Explain why you think this is an important mission of the organization and why it’s needed in today’s social climate.
NH: This is an important mission because there are so many places where Black women come last or are not recognized or valued for their achievements. Black women already have an image of being strong, independent trailblazers, so our accomplishments are not celebrated nearly enough because that is just the standard for us and what people expect. Having organizations like Miss Black Florida really shows Black women that they are seen, appreciated, and celebrated. It can be hard to want to keep going when you feel like no one is recognizing how far you’ve come and all that you’ve done. Miss Black Florida USA gives a platform to do just that.
Check out these photos of Nija Harden, Miss Black St. Petersburg USA 2024, and contestant in the 2025 Miss Black Florida USA Scholarship Pageant.
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Note: The Miss Division of the Miss Black Florida Scholarship pageant organization is open to women ages 19-27. The Miss Black Florida USA pageant is a franchise of the Miss Black USA pageant system. The winner of the state title will go on to compete for the national title at the Miss Black USA pageant.
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