TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – More than 30 local girls and women are getting ready to compete in the Miss Black Florida USA Pageant which focuses on representation and authenticity.

Beauty pageants can often be associated with the glitz and glam, but it’s the beauty in self discovery that is capturing its contestants.

“It’s about the impact that we have on the community and the individual themselves, said Nhari Fitzgerald. “I say some of the best characteristics about myself I learned through pageantry.”

Nhari Fitzgerald has dominated the pageant world for nearly a decade. In fact, she’s a former Miss Black Florida USA herself. Wanting to bring back the culture and representation that comes along with this pageant, she reignited the Miss Black Florida USA pageant, and now serves as the President and Executive Director.

“I remember being a little girl and said I want to do that, but I didn’t see women that looked like me,” Fitzgerald said. “As I got older, yes we saw Black and brown girls, but we had to change things about ourselves to show up and if we didn’t win we were wondering was it because I didn’t wear my hair a certain way.”

Well now, with the Miss Black Florida USA Pageant, over thirty young girls and women are getting read to compete with various curl patterns and shades of brown skin. The pageant has three different categories: Miss Black Florida USA Talented Teen, Miss Black Florida USA and Mrs. Black Florida USA.

St. Petersburg native, Nijah Harden, currently holds the title of Miss Black St. Petersburg USA.

“I decided to choose this pageant because I felt like it was a great place for a Black woman, especially me, a person who has never been in a pageant,” Harden said.

Harden is currently a student at the University of Central Florida, and also works full time. She says this pageant truly helped her find her purpose.

“When I found this pageant I was lost,” Harden said. “I didn’t know what I wanted for myself. I felt like I didn’t have a purpose, so I really wanted growth, so finding my purpose, feeling like I’m really growing into myself has really helped me.”

While Harden is chasing the crown, she holds true to her platform of making a difference in minority communities.

“I really want to increase legal and healthcare literacy within minority communities,” she said. “I really want to educate people on how to navigate those systems because they are difficult.”

FAMU graduate and proud mom of a one-year-old, Tykia Walker, is also competing in the pageant. She currently holds the title of Mrs. Black Tampa USA.

“I know a lot of people think their life stops once they get into married life and having kids, but I want to inspire people that they can still keep going,’ Walker said.

Walker is not only a mother, but also a wife. Her husband serves in the military. Walker has made it her mission to still live out her dreams of competing in pageants while also being a wife and mom.

“Many pageants don’t have a Mrs. title, so you really can’t have kids and a husband and compete,” she said.

That’s why being a part of this pageant means so much to her. Outside of focusing on family, Walker spends a lot of time volunteering in the community. Walker volunteers with mentor groups, donates supplies to local hospitals and recently helped various organizations and families by bringing them hurricane relief.

“I like to give back, but especially to those who gave so much to me, so my daughter was in the NICU, so I decided to crochet a few items to give back to the NICU,” Walker said.

While Walker competes for the Mrs. title, and Harden competes for the Miss Black Florida title, they both have goals of giving back and making an impact.

“The ultimate goal is to make my daughter proud,” Walker said. “I just want her to see that just because I came from a certain place, you don’t have to stay there. I just want to make her proud.”

The Miss Black Florida USA Pageant takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center in St. Petersburg. Saturday’s competition begins at 6 p.m. and Sunday’s final competition begins at 3 p.m. WFLA’s Deanne King will host both evenings.