To adhere to COVID-19 safety measures and allow the show to go on, the pageant had to make some big modifications in a matter of months. Interviews were completed in advance over Zoom rather than in person. Contestants wore rhinestone-encrusted face masks, except when performing. And the entire show was held at the Graceland Estate in Memphis.
At the end of the night, the 22-year-old Ole Miss graduate and the first Black woman to represent Mississippi in the pageant was crowned the winner. (She’s also the first Miss Mississippi USA to take home the title, ahead of runners-up Miss Idaho USA Kim Layne and Miss Oklahoma USA Mariah Jane Davis.)
So what do we know about Asya Branch? From her ties to recently defeated President Donald Trump to her support for the Second Amendment, read on to learn everything you need to know about the winner of the 69th pageant.
