Gariuna Williams, a junior law studies major from Batesville, Miss., is the University of Mississippi’s Miss Black University 2026.
Williams was crowned at the fourth annual Miss Black University pageant, hosted by the university’s National Pan-Hellenic Council on Saturday, March 21, at the Jackson Avenue Center.
Williams was surprised and delighted upon winning the event.
“I was in shock,” Williams said. “I know I worked really hard, but all of the other contestants did really (well). So I was just in shock.”
As Miss Black University, Williams will serve as an ambassador to the university’s Black community and as a mentor to younger Black students, while attending numerous National Pan-Hellenic Council events and working on a greater service initiative.
“I’ll be in a position to continue to spread awareness for the things that I care about, and also things that affect college students on a daily basis … just being a representative for people who are afraid to … show people who they are,” Williams said. “I see the new year being full of new events, a new purpose, and I’m just excited to see what’s next.”
With her win as Miss Black University, Williams is eligible to compete in the Miss Black Mississippi pageant, whose winner will compete for Miss Black USA.
Five contestants competed in the pageant: Ayla Jones, a sophomore Arabic and international studies major from Washington, D.C.; Aricyn Brown, a freshman computer science major from Madison, Miss.; Hasna Raymond, a junior biological sciences major from Tupelo, Miss.; Adiva McQuarter, a sophomore allied health studies major from Louisville, Ky.; and the newly crowned Williams.
The contestants participated in four events: health and wellness, talent, evening wear and on-stage questions.
In the talent portion, Jones, an Arabic major, performed a spoken word from the work of Lebanese-American author Kahlil Gibran. Williams performed an original rap song dedicated to her late brother. Brown performed a tumbling routine to Bobby Brown’s “Every Little Step,” while Raymond presented an original painting honoring her East African heritage and ancestors. Last to go was McQuarter, who performed a majorette routine to a rendition of the Master P song “Mr. Ice Cream Man” by Florida A&M University’s marching band.
The four judges scoring contestants’ performances included Andrea Toney, a U.S. Army combat veteran and Miss Black North Mississippi 2025, Rodnie Buford, an experienced pageant judge based in Mississippi, Tracy Owens, a middle school teacher and Miss Magnolia State 2024, and Cameron Davis, a UM junior psychology major from Meridian, Miss., who was crowned Miss University 2026 in October.
Williams detailed her plans to improve elementary educational literacy while serving as Miss Black University, drawing on her experiences as the daughter of an elementary school teacher.
“My mother was a teacher and emphasized the importance of education and how it influences your life,” Williams said. “My mother now serves as a fourth-grade teacher, where she has students who are on a first-grade reading level.”
This experience, combined with working with the Children’s Literacy Project on campus, led to Williams developing her initiative.
“My goal is to do a ‘bags for children’ initiative, where these bags would have a book on reading level, flashlights to support nightly reading, a guidebook for parents to know that they are not alone and encouragement letters to make sure that these children know that they are not alone on this journey,” Williams said. “I also plan to start a program for college students like myself to have a buddy throughout the year to go read to these students, to help them with homework and anything else that they may need to make sure that these students are on reading level.”
Brown was awarded Most Photogenic. Raymond was named Miss Congeniality, a title awarded to the contestant deemed most friendly by her fellow contestants. The Audience Choice Award, determined by audience donations to the NPHC in a contestant’s name, went to Jones.
Timya Sneed, a junior international studies and economics major and this year’s pageant coordinator for Miss Black University, detailed the difficulty in hosting the event, which was postponed due to Winter Storm Fern.
“A lot of work and effort and just having the perseverance during the snow storm. Our practices and our event got moved back two times during the snow storm,” Sneed said. “Being able to witness their beauty, their confidence, their grace and how they’ve grown in less than a month as future queens. … (It’s) been a blessing being their coordinator.”
With planning beginning back in January, Sneed believes the event is important not only for the university’s Black populace but for the greater campus community, as well.
“For me, Miss Black University is a representation of our campus and our student body and places where Black voices, especially Black women’s voices are not truly heard,” Sneed said. “I feel like this crown gives the opportunity for someone to be shone as the light in our organization, NPHC and our Black Student Union.”
UM Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Sedric Scott touched on themes he hoped the pageant would convey.
“We wanted to provide our Black and brown women a definite opportunity to showcase talent and beauty. It was more of a confidence thing with our contestants,” Scott said. “(It definitely shows) growth (and) continual support of all students, whatever your nationality or background is. We have a very diverse group of ladies today.”
ZyQuein Wells, a junior allied health studies major, attended the event, supporting his friends Raymond and Williams.
“I came here to support the beautiful women, more specifically the Black women at the University of Mississippi,” Wells said. “At institutions like Ole Miss, primarily white, (the pageant) brings the culture here. Miss Black (University) showcases our beautiful Black women, their strengths, the hardships they’ve been through and it gives everybody the holistic view that people have missed out on sometimes.”
