Meet Alijah-Joye Major, a 6-year-old African American girl from Jackson, Mississippi, who has represented her state to compete for the title of Miss America Elementary First Grade against representatives from all 50 states.
Alijah has been competing in beauty pageants since she was 6 months old. Her adventure in the world of pageantry has taken her to Dallas, Nashville, and, most recently, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Joye Major, affectionately known as “mom-ager,” has been her biggest supporter and manager in all of her pageant ventures. Her mother quickly supported her when she saw an ad for a pageant at a mall.
The young beauty queen expressed her joy and gratitude for her mother’s support. She said, “My favorite part was when my mom held a big sign up for me. It made me so happy,” according to WJTV.
Alijah’s hard work paid off when she was crowned as Miss Mississippi Elementary First Grade in November 2022. She was the only contestant from Mississippi in her age group to score in the top 10.
However, her journey was not without criticism and negative comments from other people.
“People see you putting makeup on your child. You’re making them grow up, but I can assure you, Alijah is your normal first grader. When she’s not at a pageant, she does not have makeup on,” her mother said.
Alijah attends Casey Elementary Performing Arts School in addition to her pageant career. Alijah also participated in commercials for Mississippi’s Jackson Public School District (JPS), displaying her talents outside of the pageant stage.