Black woman wins Ben Franklin 'lookalike' contest in Philadelphia

A black woman was named the winner of a Benjamin Franklin look-alike contest held in Philadelphia on Friday.

Dozens of participants dressed as the Founding Fathers gathered at Independence Mall on the eve of Independence Day, wearing powdered wigs, bifocals, and 18th-century-style clothing. Contestants each paid $1 to enter, with the winner receiving the prize pool.

“There's something about chubby and bald that just, I don't know, the French like it and so it seems does the Philadelphians,” said Mitchell Kramer, who helped crown the winner of the contest, according to KYW News Radio.

The contest was won by Philadelphia resident Kiya Burgess, who accepted the prize while surrounded by fellow contestants dressed like Benjamin Franklin. With a kite in her hand, she was declared the winner.

“I love cosplay. I love dressing up, and I already had this costume, so I just wanted to come and show everyone what I made because I like to sew, and this is one of my first costumes,” Burgess told the outlet.

The event was hosted by Elena Jackendoff, who placed fliers for the event around the city and wasn't expecting such a large turnout. 

“Clearly I only made 10 numbers and then, oh, here's a horde of people ready and willing and thrilled to participate. And so it really exceeded all expectations I could have possibly had,” Jackendoff said.

The victory was met with raised eyebrows from users on social media, however, who pointed out the obvious fact that the winner did not resemble the founding father, and that the choice was one of either humor or political correctness.