Miss New York Nia Franklin is crowned Miss America 2019 following #MeToo rebranding
Miss America
The nearly-century old competition made news earlier this year after it announced that it would drop its well-known swimsuit competition this year and would no longer judge contestants based on their physical appearance.
Miss New York Nia Franklin was crowned Miss America 2019 on Sunday (September 9) night, beating out 50 contestants in an annual event that, in 2018, sought to rebrand itself following the #MeToo movement.
Franklin received her crown and sash from last year's winner, Cara Mund. Miss Connecticut, Bridget Oei, was named first runner-up.
The nearly-century old competition made news earlier this year after it announced that it would drop its well-known swimsuit competition this year and would no longer judge contestants based on their physical appearance.
The decision was taken in the wake of the Times Up Movement. Media reports state the organisers were keen to end the objectification of its participants.
Organizers said the event, founded as a swimsuit beauty pageant intended to draw visitors to Atlantic City at the end of the summer, would no longer call itself a "pageant," in a bid to modernize its image at a time when the #MeToo movement has shone a harsh light on pervasive sexual discrimination and harassment in American life.