- Title: Miss America shines through the clouds atop the Empire State Building
- Date: 12th September 2018
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 12, 2018) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** 2019 MISS AMERICA NIA FRANKLIN WALKING ON EMPIRE STATE BUILDING OBSERVATION DECK FRANKLIN POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS (SOUNDBITE) (English) 2019 MISS AMERICA NIA FRANKLIN, SAYING: "I feel incredible. I feel so blessed and humbled to represent this wonderful organization an
- Embargoed: 26th September 2018 20:14
- Keywords: Miss America Nia Franklin Empire State Building beauty crown
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Celebrities,Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA0018XBOOD5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Clouds could not dampen the spirit of 2019 Miss America Nia Franklin.
In her first public appearance since being crowned on Sunday (September 9), Franklin posed for photographers atop New York City's Empire State Building while wearing a sleeveless dress and her new crown on Wednesday (September 12).
The 25-year-old vocalist represented New York State in the beauty and talent competition.
In the wake of the #MeToo Movement, the Miss America Organization recently dropped the swimsuit portion of the competition.
Franklin admitted initially to having mixed feelings about that decision.
"I was actually a little upset about the changes at first just because I did win the lifestyle and fitness competition at Miss New York. But at the same time I was actually very happy during those two weeks I was there. I didn't have to worry so much about what I was going to look like come finals night in my bikini and that was really, really freeing and liberating feeling," she said during her appearance.
Franklin is a graduate of The University of North Carolina School of Arts and will spend the next year advocating for arts education.
She is the 98th Miss America since the organization was founded in 1921. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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