Nia Franklin, representing New York state, was crowned the 92nd Miss America last night. The opera singer from Winston-Salem, North Carolina was trending all over social media with many noting she is the ninth Black woman to win the pageant. The last Black woman to go home with the crown was Caressa Cameron from Fredericksburg, Virginia in 2010.
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Franklin, who will receive a $50,000 scholarship, said after her win, “It took a lot of perseverance to get here. I want to thank my beautiful family, my mom and my dad, who is a survivor of cancer.” Watch her get crowned below:
This year marked the first time there was no swimsuit competition at Miss America.
See beautiful pics of the winner below.
