As South African Zozibini Tunzi received the Miss Universe crown on Sunday, she said the moment made her feel "so proud" as she accomplished a long-awaited goal.
"It feels like I'm really doing something I set out to do. I really wanted so badly for young girls and women to look at me and see themselves represented and see their faces represented in mine," Tunzi told Cheddar Thursday.
When she won the crown Sunday night, the 26-year-old said "I grew up in a world where a woman who looks like me — with my kind of skin and my kind of hair — was never considered to be beautiful. I think it is time that stops today. I want children to look at me and see my face, and I want them to see their faces reflected in mine."
A self-described activist, Tunzi said she hopes to continue her work against gender-based violence and in favor of gender equality.
During the competition, Tunzi wore her hair short and natural, which she called "a symbol of my firm belief in fair representation."
This year marks the first time Miss America, Miss Teen USA, Miss USA, and Miss Universe are all black women.
"It's so important for people to see things in order to believe them," she told Cheddar.
Celebrities and excited viewers chimed in online to offer congratulations to the new Miss Universe, including Oprah who tweeted, "Agree with you...leadership is the most powerful thing we should be teaching young women today."
Italy’s culture and tourism ministers have vowed to find and punish a tourist who was filmed carving his name and that of his apparent girlfriend in the wall of the Colosseum in Rome, a crime that resulted in hefty fines in the past.
Actress Angela Bassett and actor-producer Mel Brooks will be among those that will receive honorary Oscars for transforming "the film industry and inspired generations of filmmakers and movie fans."
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Kat Berton, a cage captain at 'Live Axe' in lower Manhattan, spoke with Cheddar News about how you can get some drinks, socialize and maybe let off some steam.
A teacher is given the gift of life by one of her colleagues, a Purple Heart recipient gets a life-changing surprise, a man starts a movement of positivity with one simple gesture and service dogs get a chance to serve the nation's bravest.
Prosecutors say they are seeking the death penalty against a man accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death late last year.
A white woman accused of firing through her door and fatally shooting a Black mother in front of her 9-year-old son in central Florida was charged Monday with manslaughter and assault.
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Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride announced Monday she's running for the U.S. House of Representatives. Already the first openly transgender state senator elected in the country, she'd be the first transgender member of Congress if she wins in November.
An Arizona dog named 'Scooter' was named the world's ugliest dog at an annual contest in California.
