Booneville's Asya Branch takes Miss Universe stage Sunday night
May 15—TUPELO — Asya Branch's historic run in pageantry takes its biggest step Sunday night.
The Booneville resident will be on the global stage representing the United States in the 69th annual Miss Universe competition. Branch, who crowned Miss USA 2020 last year, is one of 74 contestants vying for the Universe title.
"It feels like a dream and I'm just not ever waking up," Branch recently said. "I don't think it's completely been able to sink in. I'm just still over the moon and so excited. I haven't wrapped my mind around it fully, but it is amazing. It truly is a dream come true."
Branch has been involved in preliminary competition this week leading up to the crowning at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. The finals will be televised live by the FYI network and streamed on Roku, starting at 7 p.m.
More Information
What: Booneville native and 2020 Miss USA Aysa Branch will compete in the 69th annual Miss Universe competition.
When: The finals will be televised live on Sunday, May 16, beginning at 7 p.m. on the FYI network. The show can be viewed via the FYI app, available on various streaming devices like Roku, Amazon Fire Stick and Apple TV.
Branch's run began in October 2019 when she became the first Black Miss Mississippi USA, earning her a spot in the Miss USA pageant.
The Miss USA 2020 competition was postponed until November because of the pandemic. When Miss USA finally took place in Memphis, Branch became the first contestant representing Mississippi to win.
Before entering the Miss USA pageant system, Branch was Miss Mississippi 2018 and competed in the Miss America pageant. She wants to be the ninth Miss USA and the first Mississippian to win Miss Universe.
Branch, whose father was incarcerated for much of her life, plans to continue working toward prison reform as part of her platform.
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"If I'm crowned Miss Universe, I will continue to accomplish the things I had on my agenda as Miss USA and then some," she said. "I want to continue to advocate for women, for equality, and for our justice systems internationally. I hope to be able to leave a lasting impact and really emphasize on unity."
