Nia Franklin was crowned Miss America 2019 on 9th September 2018 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. With her win, 2019 became the first year that all four major United States-based pageants were won by black women; other titleholders were Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa (as Miss Universe 2019), Kaliegh Garris (as Miss Teen USA 2019), Toni-Ann Singh as Miss World and Cheslie Kryst (as Miss USA 2019). “The platform of Miss America has given me a chance to use my voice to share the importance of arts in education from speaking in schools across the country to performing at the Lincoln Centre and to taking every media opportunity to continue expressing just how vital the arts are in schools,” she said in a social media post in December 2018. Advocating for arts education comes naturally for Franklin, a Winston-Salem native who has been surrounded by music throughout her life, even composing her first song at the age of six. Her education plan was nearly derailed when her father was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma. She underwent a stem cell transplant for her father, essentially saving his life.