Asya Danielle Branch made history as she became the first African American woman to be crowned Miss Mississippi in 2018 but her list of accomplishments only increased as she became the first Mississippian to win Miss USA 2020 which was held on 9th November 2020 at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.
Even though she achieved so much at such a young age, Asya always knew her path would be different. Asya grew up in the predominantly white town of Booneville and faced a lot of racist comments. “Growing up, I was called an Oreo — black on the outside white on the inside. It was hard to find my friend group that would accept me as me”, she said.
Asya, during her childhood, struggled to make her own path. Along the way, however, she found herself having to nurture others more than she could herself when her father became incarcerated. They lost their main source of income and were almost homeless. She said, “I had to learn at a very young age, how to take care of my younger sisters, how to take care of myself, all while watching my friends live their fun, fabulous lives.”
As Miss USA now, Asya now wishes to educate others about with her new platform which is centered around the criminal justice system. Her focus has always been on the lives of the inmates and their relationships with their families because so often children are abandoned by their parents when they are incarcerated.
After Asya was crowned Miss USA, the conversation quickly shifted from her historic win to backlash surrounding her connections to President Donald Trump. In 2018, Branch had attended a criminal justice reform roundtable meeting with President Trump. Since then, she has faced criticism for her political beliefs and her upbringing.
“I’ve never wanted to please anyone and I’ve never wanted anyone’s approval. You don’t have to change for anyone, and the people who are worth having in your life will love you as you are. That’s something that I’ve always made sure to do, is that I’m always living my life for me and that I’m able to continue being true to my values, being true to my morals and everything that makes me, me”, she said in an interview.
Along with the beauty queen, Asya is also an entrepreneur who is a proud owner of a cosmetic line named ‘Branch Beauty’. She has currently paused it at this moment just because she is unable to tend to it from New York. Asya definitely seems like a strong contender for Miss Universe crown.