Pellum, Miss FAMU 2005, was used as the model for the Rosa Parks statue erected in Montgomery, Ala., in fall 2019. Her contributions include work at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, the Rosa Parks Museum and Google’s Arts & Culture series. Pellum specializes in the history of women’s images and southern culture. This book lifts and centers the voices of black women,” she said. “So often, public discourse about black beauty is narrated by persons without an intimacy or expertise in the culture.

She said their personal stories not only illustrated their unique definitions of beauty, but also served to explain the political identities contestants created for themselves in the quests for their crowns. The allure of pageants, Pellum said, often masked the social and political challenges experienced by contestants. “I wrote the book to capture that experience and address the politics of beauty within our own culture.” Kimberly Brown Pellum served as the model for the new Rosa Parks monument in Montgomery, Ala. “My mother and grandmother took me to parades to see Miss Alabama State and Miss Tuskegee University…I loved the glamour,” Pellum said. Her book explores the glamorous history of African American beauty queens by using the stories of former contestants to address colorism and racism still prevalent in the industry. Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat.Florida A&M University (FAMU) professor and former Miss FAMU Kimberly Brown Pellum, Ph.D., recently released her book, “Black Beauties: African American Pageant Queens in the Segregated South.” She recently served as the reference model for the full-body bronze Rosa Parks statue in downtown Montgomery, Alabama, and authored the book 'Black Beauties: African American Pageant Queens in the Segregated South.' She proudly serves the history faculty at Florida A&M University. She is the author of three children's books ('Black Women in Science,' 'Superhero Like Me,' and 'Queen Like Me') and her contributions to other publicly accessible history include educational programming work at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, The Rosa Parks Museum and writing for GOOGLE’s Arts & Culture series. Kimberly Brown Pellum specializes in the history of women’s images, Southern culture and the Black Freedom Struggle. With a terminal degree in United States History from Howard University, Dr. online via Zoom to hear from FAMU history professor and author Kimberly Brown Pellum, as she shares from her latest picture book, 'Black Women in Science,' a book that's perfect for kids ages 9-12. Join Midtown Reader on Wednesday, July 22, at 3 p.m.

Black Beauties by Kimberly Brown Pellum