I was watching the news magazine show, 20/20, over the weekend and one story literally brought tears to my eyes. It was about homeless beauty queen, Blair Griffith. I initially thought, “here’s another pageant girl looking to score sympathy votes.” Having competed in pageants both in the USA and my native country, Jamaica, I’ve come across so many different girls who would do everything in their power to win that crown.
After watching the interview, my perspective completely changed. Through no fault of her own, Blair and her mom were evicted from their home in Colorado. While they haven’t been living on the streets, they’ve also had no real place to call their own.
What truly brought me to tears was learning that Blair’s dad—her biggest supporter in pageants—passed away from cancer. On top of that, her mom suffered a heart attack. Both of these tragedies brought overwhelming medical bills, which eventually led to their financial struggles. When they were evicted, Blair chose not to share what she was going through. The truth only came out when someone asked to interview her at her home.
The silver lining? Blair has since received help from sponsors, and now she’s preparing to compete for the Miss USA crown—on Father’s Day, no less. While her dad won’t be there in person to cheer her on, I have no doubt he’ll be with her in spirit.