Accidents aren’t always a bad thing, and in some instances, they can be blessings in disguise that open the door to greater opportunities. This was that case for Michaela Morgan during the COVID-19 quarantine. Bored at home like the rest of the world, one day she was scrolling on Instagram when her phone froze on the Ms. Full Figured USA Instagram account.
Unfamiliar with the organization, she became curious about it. As a joke, she applied to compete. She was selected to compete to become a state titleholder but didn’t win. Losing did have a toll on her mental health at first; then she was able to reinvent herself and is now back to compete.
“If I won, I would be ecstatic because this would be my first time taking home a top crown,” Morgan said. “Fear, anxiety, and depression would lose if I won.”
Morgan, being a Black plus-size woman competing in the Ms. Full Figured USA pageant, has learned to be more confident in herself by viewing herself as competition and transforming old perceptions about herself to lift her self-esteem.
“It’s me versus being a Black girl with stretch marks and fighting against all the reasons I shouldn’t be on stage,” Morgan said. “It’s about thinking about myself and where I wanna go instead of being like, ‘Ugh, I don’t like how I look in this, I just gotta pick at myself.’”
Morgan understands the importance of her voice being heard. The pageant platform is not just for her, it’s for other plus-size Black women and young girls.
“I was surprised when I posted about the pageant on Instagram, the women and young girls who reached out to me,” Morgan said. “You never know who you’re influencing or inspiring. I had someone tell me they saw me and it made them think they can do it too.”
Mental health is slowly becoming a more talked about topic in Black communities. It’s receiving more attention in the pageant world now due to an increase in suicide rates. Last year, Cheslie Kryst, Former Miss USA 2019, and Miss Alabama Zoe Bethel’s deaths by suicide not only shocked the world but raised awareness on how critical it is to take mental health seriously.
Morgan’s focus for this year’s pageant aligns with health and wellness. She will tackle the impact of body dysmorphia and the social destruction of the plus-size Black woman.
“My focus relates to mental health because it’s about depression and not seeing yourself represented or being anxious about presenting yourself in public,” Morgan said.
She remembers a time when she was too scared to wear flip-flops thinking her feet were too fat and she would get laughed at.
“I always think about myself when I go on stage,” Morgan said. “How would ‘Little me’ feel if she saw that? ‘Little me’ sees the things she’s always wanted to do and finally gets to see herself since she never saw that growing up in society and mainstream media.”
Morgan gives herself and other Black women and girls advice on strengthening their confidence.
“Take that jacket off, it’s 90 degrees outside,” Morgan said. Stop covering up your face, there’s nothing wrong with how you look. No matter how many people say you shouldn’t wear that because your arms are big or because your thighs will rub together, don’t spend so much time worrying about how you look. Don’t be afraid to be yourself.”
Morgan has competed in several other pageants including Miss Fashion Global. She is a Special School District High School teacher at Northview High School. She competes this Saturday for the coveted title of Miss Full-Figured Missouri.
Visit https://www.msfullfiguredusa.org/ for more information.
