Page 63 of August Lane

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Episode 12—“Jojo Lane”

August 21, 2024

[cont.]

Emma:

How old were you when you entered your first pageant?

Jojo:

Oh Lord. A baby? I don’t remember.

Emma:

Did you enjoy them?

Jojo:

Sometimes. I liked singing in the talent competition. Birdie made me one of those sparkly cowgirl costumes and the judges ate it up. Little five-year-old Black girl belting out “Jolene” like she’s got a man to steal. [laughs] I also enjoyed being told I was pretty, particularly during those awkward years when no one felt pretty.

Emma:

I had plenty of those. Did you know about the racial history of the Delta Teen competition when you entered?

Jojo:

Not completely. I knew what everyone knew. The pageant was white. Very bottle blond and blue eyeliner. And entering those pageants was expensive, so all the Black girls had to be smart about which ones they spent money on.

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