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."
A Taylor Swift reporter has been hired at Gannett after the job listing really went viral online.
Two cubs from a rare species are making their debut -- two snow leopards who were finally unveiled at the Bronx Zoo in New York.
McCormick announced a limited-edition collection of Thanksgiving doughnuts ahead of the holiday. Duarte Geraldino and Kristen Scholer gave some of them a taste in-studio for your viewing pleasure.
A study published in the Journal Behavioral Processes found that cats actually express their happiness or aggressiveness through facial expressions.
Fitness expert Jillian Michaels joined Cheddar News to discuss her app that helps with exercise programs, meal plans, and the simplicity of living a healthy life.
Former Cheddar News reporter Ashley Mastronardi participated in the 2023 New York City Marathon and gave a first-person account of her race.
Tennis superstar Serena Williams was honored Monday night by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, which awarded her as fashion icon of the year.
The father of a man charged in a deadly Fourth of July parade shooting in suburban Chicago pleaded guilty to seven misdemeanors Monday in a case that centered on how his son obtained a gun license.
James Corden, the multiple Emmy- and Tony Award-winner who gave the world “Carpool Karaoke” is launching a new weekly show set for early 2024 on SiriusXM called "This Life of Mine with James Corden."
Four men were charged Monday over the theft of an 18-carat gold toilet from Blenheim Palace, the sprawling English country mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born.
