Little Miss "Inner" Beauty Pageant held in Youngstown
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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - A unique event in Youngstown is teaching young women that true beauty is more than skin deep.
Unlike most beauty pageants, contestants at the Little Miss "Inner" Beauty Pageant were judged for who they are as individuals.
The pageant was put on by the non-profit group, Thrive N' Grace. Juanita Thompson, the coordinator of the event, explained the group's mission behind the pageant.
"I want them to show what they have going for them," Thompson said. "Everyone is a different individual, so we want to love them and build them based on their personal character."
The girls ranged in age from 4 through 12 years of age. And although they were still asked to dress up, show off their talents, and speak publicly, judges were looking to hear who the girls were as a person and how they treated others.
"I'm learning that just being pretty on the outside, you got to be pretty on the inside as well," Taylor Chatman, a contestant, said.
Contestant Heaven Perry seemed to agree.
"If you have it inside that means you care about people, but if you have it in the outside, that means you're just pretty," Perry said.
And unlike other pageants, at the end, everyone was a winner.