More Than A Crown | The Reign of Miss Black DC
Amini Bonane having the Miss Black DC 2020 Crown bestowed upon her by Jessica Stamp—Miss Black DC 2019.
Amini Bonane knows the power of numbers. Currently in the middle of gaining her Certification in Corporate Finance from Harvard University as a graduate student attaining her masters, Amini Bonane does so while completing her bachelor's at George Mason University where she studies Finance, Philosophy and Law. (Yes, working on both degrees at the same time.) Bonane’s growing list of achievements elevates itself to a more impressive status seeing as she’s done all of this before the age of 25. Her unmatched performance in the classroom is one of the many reasons why she was a perfect contestant for Miss Black DC 2020--the competition that just crowned her Queen.
“Honestly, it really hasn’t hit me yet,” she laughingly responds to the coveted title just over a week before her coronation taking placethis Saturday. “I have people on my team always asking me, ‘Do you know the significance of your title?’--and I tell them that I do--but do I actually? It doesn’t seem real.”
Winning Miss Black DC means that Amini Bonane will represent our nation’s capital in the Miss Black USA 2020 pageant. The amount of guest appearances on television and radio shows throughout the DMV that has filled her calendar since winning the competition speaks to the whirlwind she’s gradually adjusting to at the current time. This did not happen overnight. Two years prior, Bonane made the decision to enter Miss RD Congo USA 2018, the scholarship-based pageant that celebrates women of Congolese descent, where she placed as 1st Princess. This victory in her first-ever competition made the idea of attaining the crown Amini Bonane wears today more than a daydream. What keeps her head out of the clouds in the middle of her newfound fame is the cherished opportunity to discuss an issue that weighs heavily on her heart.
“I’ve remained grounded post crowning by focusing on the reason why I wanted to take part in the pageant in the first place and that’s my platform which is ‘Find My Sister’. I’m trying to shed light on the nearly 64,000 missing and exploited black women in the United States.”
The number, a mix of current and cold cases, is a staggering one to hear and a painful one to read. Silence and dismay are the usual reactions Bonane receives when sharing the appalling statistic she gathered from The National Center of Missing and Exploited Children. Here is where she hopes an honest conversation about sex trafficking in our community will start and never stop until it’s no longer an issue. Though news of missing black women is constantly shared via social media, the media coverage of this historically devalued and marginalized segment of society pales in comparison to the coverage missing women of other races receive. Amini Bonane looks to make the most impact by using the heightened media attention her stunning crown now garners.
New members of Brains Then Beauty’s Alpha Chapter reading the mission statement at the initiation ceremony.
“I plan to partner with nonprofit organizations who are already doing the work because I think it’s important to respect the professionals in that space,” she affirms. “I just want to be a voice that helps to amplify the work these organizations are doing.” Bonane’s method for change is not your usual petition for ‘world peace’ often heard at most pageants. Shattering dated ideas is nothing new for her. She’s always had great practice dispelling Western myths many have of the homeland she and her parents fled when war broke out in 1997 when she was two-years-old. So it makes sense that she would also halt the sensationalistic misconceptions when it comes to identifying danger. “Most women think they’re going to walk down the street and see a parked white van and identify that as a potential threat. That stereotype is pretty much a distraction because--in all reality--the person who’s going to abduct you is someone that you know, someone that you trust, someone that you love when in fact they’re only there to prey upon you.” Bonane’s stance regarding the visual sketch of a male-only sex-trafficker adding to the number of missing women is another issue she addresses with urgency.
“The reason why I named my platform ‘Find My Sister’ is that at the end of the day--as black women--we’re all we have and we have to stick together. If we don’t, guess who becomes the pawn for the predator to attract his next victim? A woman. They’re the ones who call one of their friends and say ‘Hey, girl. You should come out and party’. But the truth is they have ulterior motives. Why? Because they’re wolves in sheep’s clothing.” Amini Bonane then transitions for a call for help. “And for black men, you’re our brothers. I need you guys to do your part not just protecting us, but to hold yourselves and each other accountable.”
Boname’s mentorship-focused, youth-geared organizations for young women of color--Brains Then Beauty and its young black male-focused component--Brains Then Brawn is an extension of her call for change through the community. Founded in 2018, both help college-aged students to best mentor teens in the Fairfax County Public School System by promoting personal and professional development through mentorship and leadership. Amini Bonane’s Miss Black DC 2020 white sash has her ‘Honey Bee’ insignia stitched into it. This represents her social entrepreneurship as well as the insolubility between her and the ‘hive’ of good growing under her leadership one steeped in the ethos of taking the first step towards improving the quality of life for others. This is where her new title of Non-Profit Fellow at George Mason gets put to good use. Each organization is centered on helping students overcome the varying indifferences society already has in place. Brains Then Beauty’s national philanthropy is felt in its raising awareness on domestic violence. Brains Then Brawn is making inroads by putting financial literacy at the forefront of its efforts. This alpha chapter is just the start. She looks to expand to all points across the map to bring about change.
“I always try to channel the energy needed to overcome any obstacle. I’m the type of person that when I see a problem I do something about it.”
Amini Bonane’s reign as Miss Black DC lasts only for a year, but her ceaseless dedication to helping others in need is what makes her a true Queen--with or without the crown.
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