Flashing lights and flashy music greet each Miss Africa USA contestant as she ascends a small stage in an Irving hotel ballroom. Judges are told to look for poise, confidence and a commitment to African culture.
Physical beauty is downplayed.
African beauty is different in that it embraces the whole person, not just your physical appearance. Dallas attorney Irene Mugambi is one of the emcees for the Miss Africa USA pageant. Many of the contestants, like Kenya's Christine Munyoki, say American notions of beauty are too often driven by the popular media. Munyoki is a computer science major at Richland College. She came to Dallas five years ago, when she was 18.