As a student, Beryl Dickinson-Dash was crowned the Carnival Queen at McGill University. She wasn't at all interested in competing (in fact, she hadn't even entered herself) but her mother, her boyfriend, and her boyfriend's roommate had other ideas. Beryl was shocked when she won, and she wasn't alone in her reaction. It was 1949, and Beryl is Black. Her win was heralded as "democracy in action". Now, more than 70 years later, Beryl reflects on being a Black beauty queen, and why she hopes her win will no longer matter.