The VCU pharmacy student edges out 50 other contestants in the competition, while the Miss Texas steals the show for becoming the first-ever Miss America contestant to wear an afro on stage.
- Dec 20, 2019
AceShowbiz - Meet the new Miss America! Miss Virginia Camille Schrier has taken over the title from last year's champion Nia Franklin after winning the judges' favor in the 93rd annual pageant show, which broadcast live from Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut on Thursday, December 19.
Camille, a VCU pharmacy student, performed a science demonstration during the Talent portion of the competition. The contestants also took the stage for personal interviews, talent demonstrations, and social impact statements during the preliminary competitions.
Judges at the two-hour live event included singer Kelly Rowland, "Queer Eye" star Karamo Brown and "Superstore" actress Lauren Ash. Miss Georgia Victoria Hall and Miss Missouri Simone Ester also advanced to the top three, with the former being named this year's runner-up and the latter becoming the second runner-up. Miss Oklahoma Addison Price took fourth place, while Miss Connecticut Jillian Duffy finished in fifth place.
Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin was back to the stage to crown her successor. Victoria was fully supportive of Camille, clapping her hands in excitement as the latter's name was called as Miss America 2020. Camille also couldn't contain her happiness, closing her eyes with her mouth open before Nia handed out the crown.
Elsewhere in the competition, Miss Texas Chandler Foreman made history as the first-ever Miss America contestant to wear an afro hairstyle on stage. The 23-year-old rocked her natural curls during the opening of the live show, which was hosted by Mario Lopez and Kit Hoover. She got into the top 15, but her journey ended there.
Chandler also wore an afro during the Miss Texas 2019 pageant in August and has kept the style ever since. Sheila Milner, a pageant director and Chandler's coach, said the Houston native was hesitant about the idea at first. "Chandler said she needed extensions to compete, but I told her that I loved her natural look. This was three years ago, and natural hair wasn't really accepted. But the judges loved her for who she was," Sheila said as quoted by The Houston Chronicle.
