Its still a success and its about more than just music! Its a night to celebrate black rolemodels too, such as musisians, sportsmen, actors/actresses, presenters ect which is a positive thing for youngsters to see and to give them the motivation alot of the are lacking these days! They promote gun crime awareness, they work alongside workshops and organisations for young ethnic males & females to help them sort their lives out, persue music careers and other jobs in the media industry! They celebrate gospel music and african music which is not in he charts and deserves recognition and awards! All of these things are very much needed!

Well said! I think some people just enjoy being 'up in arms'.

would someone with only one black grandparent be allowed to enter?
Do they have a colour chart/swatches to make sure nobody is too white?
serious question actually

Probably. Still 1/4 black, innit

what about 1/8th?

Ah, you mean the blonde haired blue eyed girl whose great granny was black?

Yeah, I doubt she'd be allowed to enter


I think how a person looks has more to do with it than the break down of who's in their family.


I know a girl who's mum is mixed (black/white), her dad is Jewish (dark hair, eyes) and she has come out with perfectly straight blonde hair & has the brightest blue eyes.

To look at her, no way would someone think "Her grandad is black".

Anyhoo, the point I'm making is, even though she's 1/4 black, I very much doubt she'd be allowed to enter as she looks like an 'Aryan Princess'.

My big problem with it is that people are still being divided by colour, while ever that still happens then people will still keep a mental division there, we have to persevere with mixed contests with everything (except gender of course) till these things even out.

PS.. an average looking black girl would get the vote over a white stunner from me..... I dont know why but black girls just do it for me .

Damn it !!! I am dividing by colour now

I totally agree with you.

Also, I question the logic of saying it's not racist to have the separate contest, just because black is the ethnic minority when compared to white.

Well there are many things that are still really for whites only but they dont nee the title because no one questions it or winges about it, it goes withut saying!

So what if theirs a pageant for black women to compete in, they are ignored in alot of other pageants, so what if they have a plus size models only catwalk, they are denied the right to walk down the same runways as the size zero's! So what, get over it! Its not racist! Its not called " miss if ur not black dont enter cause its just for us uk" its just giving black women a chance!

What are they ?


So if there was a fashion competition for white women only, what would be your reaction, given that it wouldn't be illegal ?

What about an albino with two black parents?

I'm a bit puzzled at your - things for whites only - comment too?

I'm black, used to model, and must admit I didn't have any problems like you mentioned in another post. I'm also not very happy about 'black women only' beauty contests. It's like other things that are meant to be positive - to me it's devisive and leads to criticisms.

I'm all for promoting a greater awareness that there are different forms of beauty than the ones that may be in the public perception - but I think there's better ways of doing it.

As for the MOBOs - no-one I know takes them seriously. More a celebration of money making and the watering down of music than anything else

When i said white only i didnt mean they say white's only but it just is without saying, like miss england is usually all white or prodomantly white thats why they have miss black uk! Im mixed so i wouldnt care if it was a whites only fashion competition, i just wouldn t enter, id enter miss black uk because being mixed i still can! My point is that theirs nothing wrong with minorities having their own award shows or beauty pageants! Its nothing to do with the being racist!

Sorry I don't agree, and neither do the CRE.

It's creating further divisions and emphasising differences, at the very time I thought we were getting away from all that crap, and just being people together.

I see what you're saying mate but I think context and intent are important here. This pageant isn't only allowing black women in because it ranks white women as inferior. It's trying to develop an environment where black women can be fully appreciated without being 'overshadowed' by their white counterparts. So while the 'mechanics' of the decision may appear racist, the principles behind it aren't.

You're right that in the long term it may cause more division and hostility (though not necessarily). But what about the short term? Where do aspiring black models go to get noticed while society sorts itself out?

Don't know if it's been mentioned before but Miss GB 2006 is Indian/Asian.

Yes, this is just one winner, and she's not black! There are many indian/Asian pageants too!

Bluespeed said it right!
The pageant is to help black models further themselves! Its not just black girls, there are all types of mixes of contestants, mixed race, mixed with indian ect!

One thing I like about America is that you do see more black people in advertising and in magazines. In this country this is not really the case.
There are differences as well in the modelling industry i think that people here are mainly referring to though high fashion models.

People really do get up in arms about things though.

I have noticed that whenever black people want to do something or celebrate something some people complain.

There are MTV Asian music awards and I have read/heard no objection about that. There are also Asian beauty awards also. I don’t really care about the Mobo’s but in regards to the Mobo’s though I can remember when it first started it was more like an event that praised black artists and black up and coming artists. They have gone more commercial and maybe the allegations of racism has made them adjust.

lol me either, speak for urself cause im mixed race and live with my white partner, my mum married my dad, my Indian grandpa married my mixedrace nan! My familly couldnt be more mixed so i dont think people "Stick to their own" Dont know where uve been hiding to think that!

Frankly I couldn't care less if black women can't get into beauty contests or on magazine covers, I think women, black or white should aspire to something more meaningful than simply looking pretty.

It's discrimination against Oriental, Asian and British white people. But no one will complain publically just as they don't when the Music Of Black Origin awards show is televised each year.

[quote=risingstar;18248956]One thing I like about America is that you do see more black people in advertising and in magazines. In this country this is not really the case.
There are differences as well in the modelling industry i think that people here are mainly referring to though high fashion models.


That why they are ahead of us in some aspect. I was pleasantly suprised when I went to New York and found many people of varous background very successful(Different Industry). I was thinking then how I wish we could have some of that in the UK.

What I fund funny is when some people really believe the Americans are less tolerant than us Brits

I know they have problems state side but at list you have a chance to dream.

[quote=holy-moly;18249553]
Well there are nearly 40 million black people stateside which is 12% of the population. Compared to 1 million black people in the UK which is barely 2% of the population. Smaller numbers sadly means less visibility.

[quote=joe2-snj;18250459]
Haha, there are WAY more than 1 million black people in the UK.


There are about 1 million black people in London!


You must live in the back of beyond to really think that.

Are you including people of Asian origin in your figures ?