The votes are in. Ebony Magazine has announced the top ten queens that will grace its pages later this year.

Xavier University of Louisiana retweeted a message from Miss XULA Jasmine Merlette, one of Ebony’s top ten HBCU Campus Queens, and congratulated Jasmine on her achievement, saying: “Congrats [Jasmine] on finishing in Ebony Magazine’s top 10 HBCU Campus Queens for 2016-2017… and thanks XULA for supporting our awesome queen.”

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The HBCU Queens will stand and pose royally for their various institutions. As many flip the pages of Ebony, the queens will showcase the importance of why HBCUs are important.

Half of the finalist are Louisiana HBCU Queens taking positions 1, 5, 6, 7, and 10. Other states represented include Mississippi with two queens and one queen representing the states of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina a piece. Missing the top tier of the competition by a spot was Miss. Oakwood University, Courtney Buckhanon.

Since 1975, according to Ebony, the magazine has celebrated Black collegiate women – poised to make a positive change in the African American community – through the HBCU Campus Queens. This opportunity provides a platform for reigning queens from Historically Black Colleges and Universities around the country to showcase their extracurricular activities, goals. and community impact to more than just their campus – the world.

Congrats to the new HBCU Campus Queens! You can check out the winners below.

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