Who is reigning miss usa

More Videos Miss USA is first Black contestant from her state Asya Branch , a student at the University of Mississippi and Booneville native, was crowned Miss USA on Monday, after the coronavirus pandemic delayed the event by several months.

Distilling a season's worth of reality television competition into two hours, the Miss USA pageant began by introducing the 51 competitors, before whittling down the group to 16 finalists, then 10, then five, and then the winner. An advocate for criminal justice reform whose father served 10 years in prison, Branch impressed the judges — the "selection committee" — with not only her poise and appearance but with her comments on political polarization during the pageant's "question round" and gun safety during the "final statement" segment.

Asked by a pageant judge to address the issue of the nation's polarization, Branch said: "We've lost trust in the systems that seem to keep our country running, from the media to business to our government. It's all about restoring that trust and coming together and working together, to heal If we want to continue to be the greatest nation, we're going to have to set a better example.

The other top five finalists also had tough topics and were asked to address voter participation, mental health reform, prison reform, and climate change. In addition to Branch, the finalists included:. The pageant was not the first time Branch has addressed serious issues in a high-profile setting. In November , her advocacy for the rights of the incarcerated led her to be invited to participate in a "White House Roundtable" meeting on prison reform in Gulfport, Mississippi, that was attended by Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Mississippi's U.

Sanchez is a fourth-degree black belt in taekwondo. Jordan is the first woman to represent the US at two international pageants. Barber was the first Miss USA to have served in the armed forces. Kryst is a full-time attorney who works on getting inmates released from prison.

World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Gabbi Shaw. The pageant started back in in retaliation for a slight by the reigning Miss America, who refused to wear a bathing suit designed by sponsor Catalina.

Now it's one of the two biggest pageants in the country, and its winner represents the US at Miss Universe. It's also a very emotional day, as shown by these winners. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.