The 2006 African-American Homecoming Pageant, sponsored by the Illini Union Board, gave undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to flaunt their stuff before a packed Union Courtyard audience on Wednesday night.

The pageant, was originally instituted as an answer to social inequities toward the African-American community, said Gregory Wilson, one of the emcee’s for the pageant, and a graduate student in education.

The night kicked off with an introduction of eight candidates, men and women, for the Pageant King and Queen; the candidates strolled along the catwalk in an outfit of choice, narrated by emcee’s Wilson and Brittany Baker, junior in LAS and coordinator and chair of the Homecoming Pageant Committee.

Immediately following the fashion and introduction portion of the pageant, all of the candidates showcased an individual talent: These included a singing performance, poetry, dances, a speech and a piano performance.

After a brief introduction to the next element of the pageant, a question and answer session, the emcee’s picked out of a jar one of many hypothetical questions similar to those posed to Ms. America candidates.

Emcee’s later allowed all eight candidates a final walk on the runway to see if the cheering would sway any of the judges’ final decisions.

When the cheers went quiet, the emcee’s announced the 2006 Homecoming Pageant King and Queen: Jason Amoah, senior in LAS, and Ashley Newman, freshmen in LAS.

After all the preparation and deliberation since the beginning of the semester, everything ran very smoothly, said Baker, who coordinated this event for her first time.

“It was a little rough in the beginning behind the scenes, but after all was said and done, all of our hard work really showed, and it was just great,” said Baker, who added that she would do it all over again if she gets the opportunity.

The homecoming pageant’s growing success has contributed to the popularity of the contest, and the growing crowds at the Illini Union every year, Wilson said.

“It’s becoming more successful with every passing year, and we just had some fabulous people and contestants here today,” Wilson said. “It’s just a shame that only one person can be crowned king and queen, because everyone tonight just did a fantastic job.”

Other events include a fashion show, a concert by a studio-recording artist at Foellinger Auditorium, and a celebration at CRCE.