Sweeping changes with Miss America; candidates no longer judged on physical appearance

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The Board of Trustees of the Miss America Organization announced groundbreaking changes for The 2019 Miss America Competition Tuesday effective this September, by declaring the 51 women representing their home states and the District of Columbia will no longer be judged on outward physical appearance.This change in format signals the end of the swimsuit portion of the competition. In its place, each candidate will participate in a live interactive session with the judges, where she will highlight her achievements and goals in life and how she will use her talents, passion, and ambition to perform the job of Miss America.

The former evening gown competition will now give participants the freedom to outwardly express their self-confidence in evening attire of their choosing while discussing how they will advance their social impact initiatives. Talent, which has always been a distinguishing element of Miss America, will remain a highlight of the competition.

Gretchen Carlson, Chair of the Board of Trustees, says Miss America is no longer a pageant and will represent a new generation of female leaders focused on scholarship, social impact, talent, and empowerment.

Carlson says a cultural revolution is being experienced in our country with women finding the courage to stand up and have their voices heard on many issues. Miss America is evolving as an organization and join this empowerment movement.

President and CEO Regina Hopper, who has ties to the Twin Lakes Area, says Miss America’s new mission statement is: To prepare great women for the world, and to prepare the world for great women.

Hopper says the organization wants more young women to see this program as a platform upon which they can advance their desire to make a real difference and to provide them with the necessary skills and resources for them to succeed in any career path they choose.

Last month the Miss America organization announced for the first time in its history it will be led entirely by women, including Hopper who was appointed as its president and CEO.

Hopper was Miss Arkansas 1983 and is an attorney and TV journalist. She is a former correspondent for CBS News, where she won an Emmy for her work on the show “48 Hours.” Hopper’s father, Bobby, is a Baxter County native, former Arkansas Highway Commissioner and for whom the Sheid-Hopper Bypass is named.

Hopper told the Associated Press she hopes young women will realize Miss America is now being led by women who have been through the program and have been helped by it, and that they will seek the same benefits from it.

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