On the Lighter Side: First Black Miss Mississippi is Miss USA 2020

Mississippi's first-ever black representative has been crowned as Miss USA 2020 and will carry the United State's name across her chest in the upcoming Miss Universe pageant.

Asya Branch, a Booneville native and student of the University of Mississippi, was named Miss USA 2020 on Monday. The pageant has been delayed for several months due to the coronavirus pandemic since it was supposed to happen in the spring.

The Miss USA 2020 pageant has become historic as it is the first to be held amid a global pandemic. Moreover, the crowned queen has also made history as the first black woman to win Miss Mississippi and represent the state in the Miss USA.

Aside from Branch, this year's Miss Teen USA, Ki'ilani Arruda, also had a historic win as the second Hawaiian woman to be crowned Miss Teen USA, USA Today reported.

During the pageant held in Memphis, Tennessee, at the Graceland Exhibition Center, Branch bested her 50 other competitors as she answered questions about gun laws and how to mend a polarized nation.

With regard to gun law, Branch admitted that her family owns guns. However, she insisted that people should learn how to use firearms before being granted a permit to carry them safely.

In the case of mending a polarized country, Branch said that it is important that trust in the government and institutions such as the media should be restored, Brach answered in the final question.

Filipino-American Kim Layne, who came from Idaho, was named 1st runner-up, and Mariah Jane Davis of Oklahoma was 2nd runner-up. Other winners included 3rd runner-up from Indiana, Alexis Lete, and Kelly Hutchinson from Alabama was named 4th runner-up.

During an interview with Miss Mississippi USA, the newly crown Miss USA revealed that her father was incarcerated for 10 years. Her father's story inspired her to become an advocate for the reform of the criminal justice system. She also added that back in 2018, she met with officials and US President Donald Trump to discuss how to help former prisoners reintegrate with society, Yahoo! News reported.

Branch stated during the interview in September that sharing her story has made her push through with the difficulties she has gone through with life. She also said that doing so was a learning experience where she was able to heal and help others.

During the production that happened this fall, the Miss Universe Organization, which runs the Miss USA pageant, followed the safety protocols in view of the pandemic. The contestants were asked to wear bejeweled masks when they were not on stage and when they visited landmarks including the National Civil rights Museum.

Moreover, Graceland's audience was also asked to wear masks and were subjected to temperature checks as they went into the facility. However, it was not stated if social distancing was practiced inside the pageant, Fox News reported.

Branch received the crown from her successor Miss USA 2019, Chelsie Kryst. Kryst's reign was also historic as it was the first time that all winners in the top beauty pageants in the US, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, Miss America, and Miss World, were black women.