From Sketches to the Stage: Professor Taj Jackson’s Journey to the Miss DC USA Pageant

By Chad Eric Smith, Director of Marketing & Communications, Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts 

On a summer evening in Washington, D.C., Professor Taj Jackson walked across a stage she had once only imagined. The Howard University Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts fashion educator—known for her artistry in the classroom and on the sewing machine—had entered the storied Miss DC USA pageant, making history as the first Black trans woman to compete. 

“I never thought in a million years that I would be on that stage,” Jackson said. “As a child, I would draw pageant queens in my sketchbooks. To go from illustrating gowns to wearing my own designs in competition—it felt like I had manifested a dream I carried since I was little.” 

Roots in Fashion, Resilience in Spirit 

Jackson grew up in Galveston, Texas, in a family with Louisiana roots. Creativity showed up early. “My mom had a white Cadillac, and I had a Sharpie. I drew all over her white Cadillac with my Sharpie,” she recalled, laughing. “That’s when I knew I loved art.” 

She studied fashion retail and merchandising at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, before earning a master’s degree in textiles and materials at Cal State Los Angeles. While working in Los Angeles’ bridal industry at Co-Melody Bridal, she discovered how deeply pageantry was woven into global fashion. “One of my coworkers was a pageant queen,” she said. “I always loved pageantry, even as a kid, but that’s when I really fell in love with it.” 

For years, an age cap of 27 kept her from competing. But when the rules changed to allow older, married, and transgender women, she knew her moment had come. “The age range is lifted. I’m trans and I can still participate. The owner is actually a trans woman. Everything just aligned.” 

Designing a Platform of Healing 

When Jackson stepped into the competition, she wore pieces she created herself: her evening gown, her interview look, and her introduction ensemble. 

I made everything that I wore to the pageant. I didn’t make my swimsuit, but everything else I made—major looks.

Her pageant platform, Healing and Vogue, draws on her lifelong commitment to fashion and self-expression. “It focuses on the healing power of clothing,” Jackson explained. “It’s about going through your healing journey and what that looks like.” 

That ethos carries into her teaching. At Howard, she teaches fashion design; in the summers, she works with children at Sidwell Friends School. “I would sew and bring my looks to campus, and the kids would tell me what colors to go with. They helped me pick fabric. I had them involved in the process." 

Representation Beyond the Runway 

For Jackson, pageantry is about visibility as much as personal fulfillment. “As a Black trans woman, stepping onto that stage in D.C.—in this era, in this political climate—was powerful,” she said. 

She acknowledged she did not place in the competition. “I didn’t win. I didn’t make it to the top,” she said plainly. “But it’s still a good story. For me, it’s the journey that really counts. I needed to do this for myself. I didn’t want to be the older woman saying, ‘I wish I would have done that.’” 

The experience, she emphasized, was transformative. “The women that I met were so incredible. They embraced me. The new directors put the pageant together in about a month, and it was beautiful. It was something I always wanted to do. As a little boy, I never thought it would be possible. I never thought in a million years that I would be on that stage. I always just drew the illustrations. I never thought that I was drawing up myself in the future. It's like I manifested it!” 

A Future Crown in Sight 

Jackson says the pageant has given her fresh determination. “Everyone wants me to do it again,” she said. “All my friends and family are like, ‘You’ve got to go back next year.’ So I will. I’ll do it again, and I’ll make my garments again. It was a beautiful experience—ten out of ten.”  

Her journey has already begun opening new doors. Since the pageant, Jackson was selected to design a custom interview look for the newly crowned Miss District of Columbia USA 2025—a full-circle moment that reflects both her growing influence in pageantry and her commitment to elevating women through fashion. She shared a photo of the design, noting how meaningful it felt “to pour back into the very community that helped shape my dream.”  

 

She hopes her journey inspires others. “Just showing up is resistance, especially during this era,” Jackson said. “I’ve always been about breaking down barriers and opening doors. Even without a crown, I feel like I made an impact.”  

Whether or not she secures the title next year, Taj Jackson’s story is already stitched into Howard’s legacy: one of creativity, resilience, and the courage to turn sketches into reality.