On April 13, Spelman College crowned its 42nd Miss Spelman Pageant winner.
The pageant, which has garnered much attention across social media, prepared for its grand event with six contestants. However, Taylor Mills took home the crown after an evening of purpose, beauty, and grace.
“WE DID IT,” captioned Mills in her celebratory post. “I am honored to serve my institution as the 42nd Miss Spelman College…’Your Authenticity is Your SuperPower.’”
“I’m very grateful. I’m very honored. I did this not only for myself but for my institution, and I am excited to get to work and to showcase who we are as the number one HBCU,” Mills told Channel 2 Action News.
@crazzy.tay Authentically Blue || To remain AUTHENTIC is my CHOICE to CHANGE the World. “An artists Duty is to Reflect the Times” – Nina Simone
The Time is Now, Lead with Authenticity.
#CrownTaylorMillsThe42MissSpelmanCollege ♬ original sound – Taylor Mills
Mills, a junior at the all-women’s HBCU, won with her platform of “Authentically Blue.” She used the motto to inspire her Spelman siblings to express themselves unapologetically while strengthening their bond to their illustrious school.
The pageant took place at Spelman’s Sisters Chapel on its Southwest Atlanta campus. Now, Mills will carry on the generational legacy of Miss Spelman. She will also represent the HBCU and its cohort of femme-identifying scholars as they continue to foster academic excellence.
The show also gained unlikely fans on TikTok as contestants used the platform to introduce themselves. Many new fans revealed how they never knew of the HBCU pageant tradition. Now engaged in the process, they expressed their captivation by the performances as the co-eds competed for the crown.
Mills’ own introduction video for the trending craze also earned over 422,000 views on TikTok. Now, she reigns for the 2025-26 academic year, using her platform to make all Spelmanites proud.
“By authentically showcasing my journey and celebrating all sides of a Spelman Woman—be it academic, artistic, or personal—I hope to inspire others to embrace their full selves,” wrote Mills on her platform’s pillars.
“Spelman women are not a monolith, and its time for us to fully celebrate the dynamic layers that make us who we are.
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