Abbie Stockard, a 22-year-old Urban University nursing student and cheerleader, has been crowned Miss America. Stockard, who was crowned Miss Alabama last June, beat out 51 competitors at the annual pageant in Orlando, Florida. The competition featured one representative from each US state, including Washington DC and Puerto Rico.
Annette Addo-Yobo, representing Texas, became the first foreign-born winner and was runner-up. Representatives from Tennessee, Florida, and Ohio rounded out the top five winners.
The pageant began with the contestants taking to the stage in flamboyant gold-colored dresses and black sashes. 11 finalists were selected based on their performance in the preliminary rounds.
During the competition, the finalists participated in several lively events ranging from choreographed dance performances. The show was judged by a panel of judges including Olympic medalist Carl Lewis and Gabi Butler, the famous cheerleader from the Netflix show “Cheer.”
From 2023, swimwear was replaced by a fitness section. The contestants wore red and gold athleisure. Apart from this, talent, evening wear, and interview rounds were also conducted.
The talent round included a variety of events, with Miss Texas performing slam poetry, Miss Oklahoma performing clogging, and Miss Wisconsin performing jazz dance to the song “You Don’t Own Me.” Stockard performed a contemporary dance to a song by Christian musician Lauren Daigle and then took the stage wearing a glittering silver and white dress.
In the interview round, representatives were asked to speak on topics such as housing, censorship, and the national debt. Stockard was asked about unemployment, to which she discussed the labor force participation rate that has fallen since the Covid-19 pandemic. “We should encourage people to acquire new skills and grow in industries,” she said.
On the other hand, Addo-Yobo was questioned on the issue of migration. He commented on his personal experiences and said that his parents had come to America with two suitcases, a few hundred dollars, and him.
Stockard cites her mother and her friend as inspirations. While her mother worked multiple jobs and managed the household, her friend had cystic fibrosis, for which Stockard ran a fundraising campaign.
The Miss America pageant, which began in 1921 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, was popular for many years. However, its popularity has declined in recent times. Last year, the pageant aired on NBC’s streaming platform, but this year it was only available on pageant-specific platforms.
Last year’s crown was won by Madison Marsh, who became the first active duty female military officer to win the national title. She had made a statement that she had broken the stereotypes of women and the army.
Along with the Miss America pageant, the Miss America Teen pageant was also held. Contestants between the ages of 14 and 18 are eligible to participate, while Miss America is open to women between the ages of 18 and 28.
The pageant is considered to be of special importance as it emphasizes not only beauty but also talent, social commitment, and encouragement.