Before being crowned Miss Black USA, Harmony Edosomwan ’20, as a UVM senior, founded Harmony’s Kitchen, a pop-up restaurant that grew to become one of Vermont’s leading catering companies. Harmony approaches cooking as a blend of Nigerian culture and New York City energy, drawing from her upbringing in the Bronx with parents who immigrated from Nigeria. As Harmony’s Kitchen grew, so did her curiosity
about food equity, informed by her experience as an activist and community organizer at UVM, including as president of the Black Student Union and a member of No Names for Justice.
“This work really shaped the path I’ve taken since graduating.”
Her role as Miss Black USA, following her tenure as Miss Black Vermont, is an extension of this community work, as she uses her platform and position “to advocate for food security and issues impacting Black people across our country.” Her time at UVM taught her that her voice can make a difference. She is especially grateful for the mentorship from professors Sean Witters, Emily Bernard, and Major Jackson.
“Being crowned Miss Black USA means so much to me,” she says, “because I see it as an opportunity to take everything I’ve built and learned in Vermont and bring it to a much larger platform. This process has taught me that preparation matters, but so does community. You can work incredibly hard to build something, but there is something powerful about having people believe in you and remind you of who you are when you’re in the middle of becoming it.”
There is more becoming for Harmony, as she prepares for law school on a full scholarship.
