LAS VEGAS: When Miss District of Columbia Deshauna Barber took the Miss USA crown Sunday, the US army reserve officer said she hoped that she was “breaking the mold.”
Serving in the military “has taught me that being confidently beautiful is about being able to earn respect from people regardless of what you look like,” said the 26 year-old Barber.
The 5’10 feet tall Barber is an army reserve logistics company commander and an information technology analyst for the US Commerce Department.
Barber said that gender doesn’t limit women in the US military.
“As a woman in the military, people associate beauty with weakness and they learn very quickly that I’m extremely strong. And although I’m small, I’m powerful and confidently beautiful is being myself and being very happy with who I’ve become.”
Fan favorite Miss California, Nadia Grace Mejia, had stumbled and paused when answering a question about social and economic inequality. The 20-year-old model, who is the daughter of the 1990s one-hit-wonder singer Gerardo, known for “Rico Suave,” had also talked about suffering from anorexia and wanting to promote body confidence earlier in the show.
Miss Hawaii, who came in second Sunday night, punted during the question-and-answer segment when asked who she would vote for among the likely presidential candidates, Trump or Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Chelsea Hardin acknowledged that there was no way to correctly answer the question during the beauty pageant.
The beauty pageant organization also didn’t shy away from addressing another controversy from last year — Miss Universe.
Steve Harvey made a cameo in a video at the start of the Miss USA show to poke fun of the Miss Universe crowning that he botched in December.
Serving in the military “has taught me that being confidently beautiful is about being able to earn respect from people regardless of what you look like,” said the 26 year-old Barber.
The 5’10 feet tall Barber is an army reserve logistics company commander and an information technology analyst for the US Commerce Department.
Barber said that gender doesn’t limit women in the US military.
“As a woman in the military, people associate beauty with weakness and they learn very quickly that I’m extremely strong. And although I’m small, I’m powerful and confidently beautiful is being myself and being very happy with who I’ve become.”
Fan favorite Miss California, Nadia Grace Mejia, had stumbled and paused when answering a question about social and economic inequality. The 20-year-old model, who is the daughter of the 1990s one-hit-wonder singer Gerardo, known for “Rico Suave,” had also talked about suffering from anorexia and wanting to promote body confidence earlier in the show.
Miss Hawaii, who came in second Sunday night, punted during the question-and-answer segment when asked who she would vote for among the likely presidential candidates, Trump or Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Chelsea Hardin acknowledged that there was no way to correctly answer the question during the beauty pageant.
The beauty pageant organization also didn’t shy away from addressing another controversy from last year — Miss Universe.
Steve Harvey made a cameo in a video at the start of the Miss USA show to poke fun of the Miss Universe crowning that he botched in December.
