The Miss America pageant has a complex and controversial history when it comes to Black contestants. The pageant initially did not allow Black women to compete, with their rules explicitly stating that participants had to be of "the white race."

In 1945, a Black woman named Doris Tucker registered for the Miss America pageant in protest of this racist policy. She was denied entry, leading to backlash and calls for change. Finally, in 1970, Cheryl Browne became the first Black contestant to officially compete in the Miss America pageant. She represented Iowa in the competition.

Since then, several Black women have been crowned Miss America, including Vanessa Williams in 1983, who became the first Black woman to win the title. Despite these historic wins, the pageant has faced criticism for perpetuating narrow beauty standards and for its lack of diversity in its contestants and winners.

In recent years, the Miss America organization has made efforts to be more inclusive and diverse, but there is still work to be done to ensure equal representation for Black women and women of all races in the pageant.