Jamila Toussaint, the current Ms. Black USA, served as a panelist at the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic basketball tournament last month. While attending the event, she notably shared how her experiences at an illustrious HBCU directly impacted her style and sense of self.

Essence reports Toussaint attended Howard University, and the Bison experience gave the Midwesterner the chance to become immersed in Black culture and fashion in a brand new way.

"I remember the first time I stepped foot on the campus. I was just like, 'Wow.' It's always a fashion show, and—at the time—I was probably in like a white tee and some jeans," Toussaint recalled. "Being from Minnesota, it's not really a thing to dress up, look good and take care of yourself. Actually, when you do that, people kind of look at you and think, 'Where's she going?'"

She then said that the culture shock at Howard "forced" her to "focus on being a more polished individual" and acknowledged the strong diversity that exists on HBCU campuses.

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"Going to an HBCU showed me all the variations of Blackness," she said. "When I first told people in my high school I was going to Howard, they tried to tell me that it wouldn't be diverse—but that's just not the case. It was the most diverse experience I've ever had in my life."

"You see all the different types of fashion and styles. You have the Afrocentric style, you have the beauty queens, you have the Greeks, and so much more," Toussaint continued. "It just shows you all the variety of our people—all the ways that we can play with our hair [and] the way we can play with our fashions."

While on the subject of style, Toussaint also mentioned that HBCU homecomings was one of the most awe-inspiring fashion events she had ever seen.

In addition to her style and identity, this beauty queen's Howard experience also had a powerful impact on her professional life.

"It's something that carries over into [the] professional world. You're not shy to stand up and speak out and look your best and play with fashion and play with beauty," Toussaint said. "I don't have to downplay myself for anyone around me. That's what Howard did for me."

Jamila Toussaint

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