I almost wish I had watched the Miss USA pageant last night now that I see this lovely young woman. The Miss USA pageant crowned the 2016 Miss USA winner last night, and she was Miss District of Columbia, Deshauna Barber. She’s beautiful! And she’s an Army reservist! Miss Barber is the first Miss USA to serve in the American military, which is an amazing “first” to have. Here’s more about our new Miss USA:
This year’s newly crowned Miss USA has both beauty and brains in spades – and has also served her country. Miss District of Columbia Deshauna Barber will go on to compete in the Miss Universe contest as the winner of Sunday’s 2016 Miss USA competition held at the T-Mobile Arena off the Las Vegas Strip. Barber, who works as an IT analyst for the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington D.C. as well as a Logistics Commander for the 988th Quartermaster Detachment Unit at Fort Meade, Maryland, broke down in tears as she won.
The 26-year-old, whose mother, father, brother and sister have also served in the army, claimed the title after giving a strong answer when asked about women in combat, saying that gender doesn’t limit women in America. Barber said that women are just as tough as men during the question-and-answer segment, adding: ‘As a commander of my unit, I’m powerful, I am dedicated. Gender does not limit us in the United States.’
Now, Barber, who is the first-ever member of the military to win Miss USA, says she’ll be taking a break from the Army Reserves to juggle her new duties. She said her current Army commitment is two days per month but that there’s great flexibility with the Reserves. Barber says she will use her year with the title supporting veteran’s causes and hopes to tackle the issue of suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder among military members. She also said the presidential candidates, including former pageant owner and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, should focus more on veteran’s issues instead of discussing unimportant topics.
She sounds absolutely badass, and like she has many life experiences beyond beauty pageants. I think she’s a bit older than most Miss USAs too, right? I feel like most of the ladies are probably around 20 or 21, but Miss Barber is 26. I actually do hope we see more of her. I hope she gets an invite to the White House!
Now presenting: The class of 2016 with our new #MissUSA, Deshauna Barber. 💙 pic.twitter.com/yfETTv6FjQ
— MISS USA (@MissUSA) June 6, 2016
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Ugh, I hate everything about these pageants, including the fact that they actually still exist.
I clicked just to write that: Why are there still beauty pageants in 2016? Shouldn’t women be judged on more than their collective attractive outer parts?
Yep, this. Starting from the objectification of women to the misplaced, blatant patridiotism and the so called ‘good answers’ to questions that try to be deep but would never even dare to touch a more controversial topic or encourage anyone to be educated about it; these pageants belong in the past. The lady is beautiful but I despise pretty much everything her title stands for.
I love how women have to be judged on their looks and then they make sure to say they are smart too. What about the smart women who don’t fall within conventional beauty standards? And where are the pageants for men so we can objectify them too?
It is just so gross. I don’t care if they give scholarships either. Why aren’t those scholarships given to women who spend time studying and not prancing around in a dress and bathing suit?
YouTube has John Oliver about pageants -very interesting about the scholarships. Check it out
There are pageants for men. Mister Universe or somethig like that. No one really cares about beauty pageants here anymore, but they were still televised about 10 years ago and they were both men and women in it.
While I think pageants are a thing of the past… This women is beautiful and a true role model! And it’s so nice to see she has actual life experiences
Absolutely!
Hear, hear!
I second that pageants are outdated. But i love the juxtaposition of something trivial, the pageant, with something serious/violent, the military. It really begs the question, who can be proclaimed beautiful by institutions?
Maybe next we’ll get an MMA fighter as the winner. Or a former convict.
No fan of pageants either, but since they still exist, she seems to be a really fantastic winner. I hope she can use this as a stepping stone to whatever she wants to do.
Army brat for the win! Nice to see a woman who can actually kick-ass win this stupid thing for a change.
Here here 🙂
She is gorgeous, intelligent and articulate. How refreshing to see someone win who actually works toward “world peace” rather than wishing for it in a pageant Q & A.
Kind of a visual mix of Krissy Teigen and Tyra Banks – and beautiful.
Too bad Trump will probably use her to try to get the African American vote in some grotesque way…
I’m annoyed that the fact that Trump owns this enterprise was downplayed this time around. I recall after his first comments about Mexicans, people boycotted the pageants and even the networks decided not to air them. What short memories people have.
I don’t think he owns it anymore.
if he did, he’d just fire her from the position like he did with other military reservists that worked for him when their service “got in the way”.
Doofus is correct, Trump no longer owns the Miss USA and Miss Universe franchises anymore.
He sold those franchises to IMG last year.
He most likely sold it cause you know he’s focused on his ridiculous political career plus both pageants was suffering from low ratings a few years now……..and that was bad business for him.
Those were also SOME of the reasons as to why NBC ‘discontinued its coverage’ of the pageants. They were planning to drop those pageants years BEFORE Trump’s ridiculous comments about Mexicans which made matters even worse.
Very beautiful. Great story as well.
Happy for her. She sounds intelligent, dedicated, and sincere. Also helps she’s beautiful.
Of course, the racists showed their butts last night, but overall, the reception to her win has been positive.
I think she is beautiful, intelligent, gracious and badass. All the things I would hope young girls would look up to. But just to throw myself backwards a little and under the bus, sorry ladies………I HATE the crown. I’m mean seriously. It doesn’t sparkle at all. I miss the sparkly ones.
Okay, I’m done now. Back to your regular programming.
Yay! I love this beautiful, intelligent, bad ass woman.
🙂
🙂
Any woman that is serving or served in our military is MISS USA in my book.
She’s beautiful, congrats to her.
I did watch it for the first time in a few years, and I have to say: she kinda bugged me. When giving answers, she dropped the military line like every 5 words. When there was no relevance whatsoever. “AS a woman in the military…” And then would literally pause for the audience to applaud and by the 3rd time she did this they were kind of over it. She also seemed a bit stuck up; The second question asked to all the top 3 contestants asked them to define ‘confidently beautiful.’ I joked to my friend that she was going to answer “ME!” And she basically did!
I obviously appreciate her service (my husband is Active Duty Air Force—and black, lest anyone think me ungrateful AND racist). Also, not that this takes away from her win, but she kept sniffing every 2 minutes! Like would be on stage just trying to stop her nose from running- it was distracting but must have been so annoying for her- bad timing for a cold.
However, she is absolutely gorgeous and she had the best evening gown by far. And I am still glad for the symbolism of having a gorgeous, strong, serving black woman as Miss USA.
And we’re still rewarding people based on their looks.
She’s beautiful and bad ass! And a good platform for veteran and MH issues. Stupid pageant but good for her.
I love the fact that little girls get to see a dark skinned Black woman win this pageant. Especially with the media culture of celebrating light skin WOC this is a huge thing.
On a side note pageants must go away now.
Go girl!