The Daily Mail reports on the outrage and why angry fans claim the organization crowned the wrong woman: It’s only been a few days since Nia Franklin traded her Miss New York crown for the coveted Miss America title, but there’s already some outrage about her big win.
After learning that the 25-year-old pageant winner is a native of North Carolina and only moved to the Big Apple last year, some New Yorkers are upset that she was allowed to represent the state in the beauty competition.
‘If you are subletting you don’t know the first thing about living in New York,’ Brooklyn hairstylist Jenna Pitocco told the New York Post. ‘If you have only been here for like five minutes, you don’t know s***.’
Twitter user Marcia Lorraine posted: ‘Is Nia Franklin from New York or Winston cause I’m confused….’ A North Carolina radio host didn’t seem fazed that Franklin was representing the Big Apple.
‘Dear New York, you’re welcome. Nia Franklin technically belongs to North Carolina, so we’ll just take credit for molding the new #MissAmerica,’ Ramona Holloway tweeted. Franklin was born in Winston-Salem and remained in North Carolina through college. She relocated to Brooklyn after receiving the Kenan Fellowship for New York’s Lincoln Center.
She won the Miss New York 2018 title in January.
During the Miss America competition on Sunday, Franklin was quick to show her support for the Big Apple, saying: ‘I have New York grit. As a New Yorker, I understand what it means to work hard’.
The beauty queen reiterated those sentiments during an interview on Monday with the Post. While Franklin understands why some people may be upset she’s not a native New Yorker, the classically trained opera singer said she’s proud to represent the state.
‘Even though I wasn’t born in New York, I feel like I’ve always had grit. Moving to New York right after receiving my master’s degree really solidified the grit that I have,’ she said.
‘People always say the first year in New York is the hardest. I celebrated my (first) anniversary June 26 and I’m really proud of that.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoVmrmdUZOU