(CNN) For the first time, America's top beauty pageants -- Miss USA , Miss Teen USA and Miss America -- have crowned black women as their winners at the same time. Vanessa Williams was the first black Miss America in 1983, and Carole Anne-Marie Gist , the first black Miss USA contestant, was crowned in 1990. The following year Janel Bishop became the first black Miss Teen USA. So when Cheslie Kryst was named 2019's Miss USA on Thursday, she became part of a historic trio, along with 2019 Miss Teen USA Kaliegh Garris and 2019 Miss America Nia Franklin. But she ignored their criticism, and went on to win the title of Miss Connecticut Teen USA with her natural hair and then Miss Teen USA.

Source: CNN May 04, 2019 17:37 UTC