Asya Branch

Asya Danielle Branch is an American beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2020 and represented her country at Miss Universe 2020 where she was placed in the top 21.

Asya Branch
Born
Asya Danielle Branch

(1998-05-05) May 5, 1998
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Mississippi (BA)
Occupations
  • Student
  • beauty pageant titleholder
Height5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[1]
Beauty pageant titleholder
Title
Years active2018–present
Hair colorBrown
Eye colorBrown
Major
competition(s)

Early life and education

Asya Danielle Branc was born on May 5, 1998, in Detroit, Michigan,[2] to African American parents. She is the sixth child of eight siblings.

After graduating from high school, Branch moved to Oxford, Mississippi, to attend the University of Mississippi. She graduated from the School of Journalism and New Media with a degree in Integrated Marketing Communications with an emphasis in Public relations and a minor in General Business.[3]

In May 2021, Branch represented United States at Miss Universe 2020, held in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Out of 74 representatives, Branch was placed in the top 21.

Branch grew up as the child of an incarcerated parent, and now advocates for prison reform.[4] In 2018, while she was Miss Mississippi, she was part of a criminal justice reform roundtable at the White House with Donald Trump and Jared Kushner.[5] She also performed the national anthem at a rally for Donald Trump that same year.[6]

Pageantry

As Miss Mississippi USA, Branch represented Mississippi at Miss USA 2020, becoming the first African-American woman to be crowned Miss Mississippi USA. Originally scheduled for the spring of 2020, the Miss USA 2020 competition was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, and later held on November 9, 2020, at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. She competed in finals and reaching the semifinals in the state for the first time since 2010, where she was crowned by outgoing titleholder Cheslie Kryst.[7] Following her win, Branch became the first woman from Mississippi to be crowned Miss USA. She represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2020 pageant.[8][9]

Previously, Branch was crowned Miss Mississippi 2018 and went on to compete in Miss America 2019 where she was unplaced.[10] During Miss America 2019, she placed second-runner up in the Quality of Life awards at the pageant.

On November 29, 2021, she ended her reign and crowned her successor Elle Smith of Kentucky as Miss USA 2021 at the Paradise Cove Theater of River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

References
  1. "Who is Asya Branch? Father, height and age of Miss USA 2020!". HITC. 2020-11-10. Archived from the original on 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  2. "Mississippi's Asya Branch Is the New Miss USA". Yahoo. Archived from the original on 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  3. "School of Journalism and New Media | Asya Branch". jnm.olemiss.edu. Archived from the original on 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  4. "Miss USA 2020: 5 Things to Know About Miss Mississippi Asya Branch". E! Online. 2020-11-10. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
  5. Konstantinides, Anneta. "New Miss USA Asya Branch said she was contractually obligated to sing at a Trump rally while she was Miss Mississippi". Insider. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
  6. "Miss USA Asya Branch: 'You Don't Have to Look Like the Person That Came Before You to Accomplish a Goal'". Glamour. 2020-11-10. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
  7. "Miss USA 2020 Winner: Who's Asya Branch from Mississippi? Here's how she overcame tough childhood to win pageants". meaww.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  8. Miss Mississippi Asya Branch crowned Miss USA 2020 Archived 2020-11-16 at the Wayback Machine eonline.com Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  9. "Asya Danielle Branch". Miss America. 2018-08-10. Archived from the original on 2020-11-15. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  10. "Miss Tupelo Crowned Miss Mississippi 2018". wtva.com. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.


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