June 23, 2025
The 22-year-old Willow Newell mesmerized the group and judges along with her vocal expertise.
Miss Wisconsin simply bought just a little extra melanin. The pageant has topped its first-ever Black lady winner in its historical past.
Willow Newell, a 22-year-old from Racine, Wisconsin, took dwelling the title through the June 21 occasion. WISN confirmed that she made historical past along with her storied win by changing into the primary Black lady to perform the feat.
“Tonight, I had the chance to share my coronary heart with the judges and the state of Wisconsin. My ardour and mission in life is to remodel lives by the humanities, to make everybody really feel included, and to create areas for expression #ExpressionWithoutExclusion,” captioned Newell in her publish, detailing her marketing campaign for inclusivity.
She added, “It’s an absolute honor to be the primary Black lady to symbolize the state of Wisconsin! And I can not wait to step on the Miss America stage and meet all of you whereas serving this lovely state I’ve the privilege of calling dwelling!”
Newell will obtain $13,000 in scholarships from the Miss Wisconsin Scholarship Group, together with different presents and awards to accompany her crown. Her singing efficiency within the expertise portion of the occasion additionally scored her one other $2,300 scholarship because the top-scoring vocalist.
Newell beat out 29 different contestants who vied to symbolize America’s Dairyland. An alumna of Carthage Faculty, she graduated from the establishment this yr with a Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theater. The seasoned vocalist has had roles in each neighborhood and collegiate theater productions.
Nevertheless, she’s going to take a brand new stage within the upcoming months. Because the newly topped Miss Wisconsin, Newell will compete within the Miss America 2026 pageant. The nationwide occasion takes place this September in Orlando, Florida.
If she wins, she’s going to proceed to make historical past as a Black lady within the pageant world. She is now vying to turn into the ninth Black lady to win Miss America, with the newest crownholder being Nia Franklin in 2019.
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