Nia Imani Franklin, is the first woman to win the Miss America crown without having to wear a swimsuit and she says she’s glad she didn’t have to. On Sunday night, Nia won the title in Atlantic City while competing as Miss New York.
The decision to drop the swimsuit competition created a good deal of controversy and criticism of current Miss America leadership. However while meeting reporters soon after winning the crown, Franklin said “These changes, I think, will be great for our organization,” she said. “I’ve already seen so many young women reaching out to me personally as Miss New York asking how they can get involved because I think they feel more empowered that they don’t have to do things such as walk in a swimsuit for a scholarship.
“And I’m happy that I didn’t have to do so to win this title tonight because I’m more than just that,” Franklin said. “And all these women onstage are more than just that.”
The swimsuits were replaced by onstage interviews, which have generated attention-grabbing remarks from contestants regarding President Trump, and NFL player protests, among other topics.
Franklin’s Sunday night victory resurrected a string of successes the Empire State has had in the pageant in recent years. A classical vocalist whose pageant platform is “advocating for the arts,” Franklin sang an operatic selection from the opera La Boheme on Sunday night.
Franklin won a $50,000 scholarship along with the crown in the first Miss America pageant to be held without a swimsuit competition. She said during her onstage interview that she was one of only a small number of minority students in school growing up, but used her love for music and the arts to grow and fit in.
The fourth runner up was Miss Massachusetts Gabriela Taveras; third runner up was Miss Florida Taylor Tyson; second runner up was Miss Louisiana Holli’ Conway, and the first runner up was Miss Connecticut Bridget Oei.
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