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The Miss America Organization celebrated its 100th anniversary on December 16, 2021, where it crowned Miss America after a 2 year hiatus.
Miss Alaska, Emma Broyles, claimed the crown with her bold yet personal answer for the interview round, striking a chord with judges and live audience alike.
The Miss America challenge
The top three in the competition were Miss Alabama - Lauren Bradford, Miss Massachusetts - Elizabeth Pierre and Miss Alaska - and Emma Broyles.
For the final round, also called the "Miss America challenge," judges asked them questions that reflected their personality.
The winner, Miss Alaska, was asked what she would do if a male rep of a Miss America sponsor made inappropriate comments towards her at an event.
Broyles was bold and articulate about her answer. She pulled references from her personal life and replied:
"I know in my heart that as a woman, I am never going to let somebody treat me like, because women should never be treated like objects."
"Women can be angry! We cannot be content with things that are happening."
The Miss America winner has been quite forthright throughout the competition.
She talked about her mental struggles and OCD in the interview round. On a more personal front, she reflected on how the the quarantine affected her emotionally.
"I am real. I have flaws. I have ADHD. I have dermatillomania, which is a form of OCD. I've struggled with all of these things and because of that, I am a better person."
"During COVID, it was an incredibly difficult time for me, being isolated in my college dorm for so long. It was that point when I hit rock bottom when I realized I can be so much more than that."
The competition went live with 50 contestants instead of 51, due to Miss Maine Mariah Larocque testing positive for covid. She had to withdraw from the competition but took the Miss Congeniality title home. Mariah was double vaccinated and tested negative before entering the competition.
