This year Miss USA, Miss America, and Miss teen USA were all African American women. This is considered a breakthrough because this is the first time in history that all three titles have been held by black women. I believe that this is such an important accomplishment because growing up as a person of color most of the time the only models or beauty icons that we see in the media are white. One of the winners, Cheslie Kryst, wore her natural hair in the competition as a way to send a message to women of color to accept their natural beauty and to break away from the common stereotypes that have been put on women of color.
As well as being the winner of Miss USA, Kryst is also a certified lawyer who went to Wake Forest for her law degree. She uses her degree to do pro bono work for those who have been unjustly sentenced. Kryst is making her own way in the world and defying social ideologies that have placed on women of color for so long. There has been a history of black culture not being accepted in America, and as we grow as a country so do our views and I believe that this a step in the right direction for America.
Source: https://www.thecut.com/2019/05/this-year-americas-pageant-winners-are-all-black-women.html