Tia Stafford was crowned Miss Black NIU Queen Mother 2004 on Sunday evening at the S.I.S.T.E.R.S. organization’s 19th annual Miss Black NIU Afrikan Cultural Pageant.

Contestants showed off talent and educated the audience about African culture. The three contestants were Raquel Taylor, a junior communication and media studies major; Venika Young, a senior applied sociology major; and Tia Stafford, a senior electrical engineering major.

The event started with a welcome from Sharanda Crowder, the pageant’s host and Miss Black NIU 2003 Queen Mother.

The theme of the pageant was “Rebirth of an African Queen.”

The contestants were introduced as they modeled business wear and answered questions.

Miss Latina Janet Rodriguez made an appearance at the pageant. Rodriguez said the contestants did an excellent job representing African culture.

The talent portion of the pageant allowed the contestants to express themselves artistically. Taylor performed an original interpretive dance titled “The Battle is Not Yours.” Young performed an original dramatic interpretation called “Overcoming Obstacles.” The performance was a tribute to her mother and Young’s perseverance throughout her life. Stafford also did a dramatic interpretation called “The Evolution of a God-Fearing Woman.” The skit traced the family lineage from her grandmother to Stafford.

Each contestant also represented an African country. Taylor represented Ghana, Young represented Eritrea and Stafford represented Mali. Contestants gave facts about the history and current events in their respective country.

The three contestants performed a unity dance. The dance featured traditional African dancing and contemporary dances. Crowder presented each contestant with an African name, which was a representation of the contestant’s personality.

The coronation was delayed because of a tie. The contestants had to answer another question to break the tie.

After the question was answered, Stafford was crowned Miss Black NIU Queen Mother 2004.

“I am blessed,” Stafford said. “The pageant took a lot of patience and determination and all of the young ladies worked hard to get to this day.”