Amber Wilsondebriano Becomes First Black Homecoming Queen in School’s 155-Year History

A young teenager of Black ethnicity is making a significant impact in South Carolina by being crowned as the first Black homecoming queen in her school.

Amber Wilsondebriano, aged 17, expressed to ABC News that she proudly wears her crown with honor, having been elected by her peers.

“Being the first African American homecoming queen means that children get to look at me and see themselves in me,” Wilsondebriano said. “It’s so important that they see that representation and know that anything is attainable for them.”

The predominantly white school in Charleston, Porter-Gaud, offers a positive experience to all students, regardless of their race.

DuBose Egleston, the Head of School at Porter-Gaud, informed the network that the senior is a student who personifies their school’s mission to inspire lives of purpose, learning, and service.

Wilsondebriano has greatly impressed numerous clubs on her campus, but the Black Excellence Society holds the most special place in her heart.

“We felt that the Black students needed a space to share their identity and share their culture with each other and learn more, she said.

The parents of the teenager are extremely proud of their daughter’s groundbreaking accomplishment, as they believe it reflects the goals that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. aimed to achieve through his work.

“They chose her; people in her grade, in her class chose her not for the color of her skin, but for the content of her character,” Chevalo Wilsondebriano told the network.

“This is the type of realization that Dr. King was looking for.” The talented teen who models, acts, paints and writes children’s books intends on taking her talents to Savannah College of Art and Design next fall. Wilsondebriano expressed a final sentiment that every Black person could get used to hearing – “Your Blackness is your pride.”