The BV Q&A: Eva Pigford
By Isoul H. Harris, Special to AOL BlackVoices
UPN's hit reality fashion fest, 'America's Next Top Model,' is the new Wednesday night guilty pleasure. Water coolers around the country host conversations about the latest girl ousted from the highly rated Tyra Banks creation. The last two seasons ended with a rebel (Adrianne) and a Snow White lookalike (Yoanna) as winners. However, this cycle the black girls ruled! Facing off in the fierce final were Yaya and Eva, and the only thing better than the competition itself was the fact that the judges saw America in the faces of two black women whose looks defied traditional model standards. First, there was Ruben and then Fantasia on 'American Idol.' And now, with the crowning of Eva Pigford as the chosen next top model, we can only hope that the seeming erasure of color lines on these popular shows signals a non-racist reality beyond the small screen.
BlackVoices recently caught up with the 19-year-old, super-confident supermodel hopeful as she was shopping in her native Los Angeles to talk about her intense confidence, her nonexistent relationship with Yaya and the absurdity of the race card.
So, what's up Eva the Diva?
Hey! I am going to get some free clothes right now!
Is that one of the perks of being 'America's Next Top Model'?
Yeah, something like that. I wore a lot of Diesel on the show and now they are giving me some free stuff!
What was the first thing that went through your mind when you saw your face flash on the screen as the winner of the competition?
[She screams into the phone] That's what went through my mind! Oh my god! It's absolutely amazing. I was so thrilled!
Did you have any idea that you would make it to the finals?
I knew that I would make it to the final one. But, of course, I couldn't say that! I have always been extremely confident.
Extreme is not the word. How would you describe your personality?
I am very bubbly, animated and my personality is larger than life.
From the moment you came on the screen you made an impression. However, on the very first episode, Tyra broke you down to tears. Was that a hard pill to swallow?
No, it was wonderful and it helped me win. They were like, "Eva, you know that you are great, we know it, but you need to humble yourself." Humility is what got me where I am today. You can be as confident as you wanna be, but you have to stay humble.
Why didn't you and Yaya become friends?
Yaya is very strong and she saw strength in me as well. So, from the very beginning we saw one another as the main competition and decided to stay far away from each other.
Do you think that the judges purposely chose a black girl winner being that the first two winners were white?
Far from. The last two girls were the best on the show and it had nothing to do with race at all.
What was the most fun that you had on the show?
The shoot for Covergirl, which is now an ad and is absolutely amazing!
So, what does your family say about your success?
They are ecstatic. I am the only girl in a family of four boys and they are all enjoying the ride right now. My mother said, "Yesterday I was Michelle Pigford, but today I am Eva's mom!"
Do people constantly stop you on the street?
Yes! I am walking down the street now and talking to people as I talk with you. It's incredible. I'm like, "Me? Eva? What!" I went from being a little tomboy in school to being a big ol' supermodel! It's wonderful.
Don't get ahead of yourself! What were you doing before the show?
I am a senior at Clark-Atlanta University and I am studying speech communications and criminal justice. I was the president of the Debating Society and ran my big mouth in competitions. And I was working in retail selling men's suits.
When you found out about the audition, did people tell you to try out or was it something that you wanted to do from the jump?
I definitely wanted to do it, but people were always telling me that I would be great for the show and that I needed to try out. People also said that I was beautiful but I was too short and that they would never pick me. So, I went to the auditions at Lenox Mall in Atlanta and I walked down the line and looked at all the girls there. I thought to myself that if they could do it, I sure could also. I was like, "If these are the girls they are choosing from, then I definitely have a shot." I was not intimidated. I was only tired from waiting in line for them to finally pick me.
Janice Dickerson, the world's first supermodel and judge on the show, has said that you are not top model material. Why do you think she feels that way?
I am not the average model by typical standards, but fashion is all about change. Plus, I am a goldmine, so get with it.
Dec. 27, 2004