Miss USA Crowns Black Winner, Making 2019 Pageant Winners ALL BLACK

Source: Vlaaka Kocvarov / EyeEm / Getty

Black Lawyer Cheslie Kryst Gets Crowned Miss USA 2019

Of course, Miss Kryst didn’t win the contest solely on her looks. The Charlotte, North Carolina native is also a fierce attorney who spends part of her time working for free on behalf of prisoners.

According to CNN, Kryst practices civil litigation for a law firm, but she also represents inmates who might’ve been sentenced unjustly. She helps them seek reduced punishment in most cases.

Kryst is also here for the women-led movements that’ve taken over the country recently. In the final round of the Miss USA competition, she was asked whether she thought the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have gone too far.

She responded:

“I don’t think these movements have gone too far. What #MeToo and #TimesUp are about are making sure that we foster safe and inclusive workplaces in our country. As an attorney, that’s exactly what I want to hear and that’s exactly what I want for this country. I think they’re good movements.”

Along with her law work, Kryst runs a blog on fashion called White Collar Glam. She was motivated to start the blog after “struggling to fund appropriate, affordable and professional clothing,” and she hopes to start a workwear clothing line someday.

As Miss USA, Kryst is eligible to compete in the Miss Universe competition. She joins a list of beautiful Black ladies who have taken over pageants this year, including Miss Teen USA winner Kaliegh Garris, and Miss America winner Nia Franklin. 

Franklin reps New York, and she holds a master’s degree in music composition from UNC School of the Arts. Oh, and she’s an opera singer too who advocates for the arts.

For the first time in history all the top pageants have been won by Black women, according to Because of Them We Can.

#BlackGirlMagic at PEAK.