KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Miss Missouri USA has officially crowned a new queen and she's from Kansas City, Missouri.
24-year-old Autumn Black says it still feels unreal.
"Honestly I keep telling people, I feel like I blacked out in that moment," said Black, reflecting on when her name was announced. "There’s a video of me almost collapsing because I was so excited."
This journey is fairly a new one for Black; getting into pageantry her freshman year at the University of Missouri.
"It was 2017 when I competed in the Ms. Black and Gold Scholarship Pageant, which is with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, so that was my first pageant," Black said.
Black took first runner up in the Miss Black and Gold pageant, which inspired her to keep going.
"It was a three-month-long process where they just taught us everything of how to walk on stage, gain that confidence and just to be in that position and for me it was like, 'wow, this is really cool,'" Black said. "I also just built a lot of relationships and friendships with the women I competed with in that, and so to have that on an even larger scale was something that I knew that I wanted."
Two years later, she started competing in the Miss USA system.
"I was just kind of doing it to really just gain confidence in myself, become more empowered," Black said.
Empowered is the feeling she wants to instill in other young students, which is why she created The Flawless Movement.
"You can find rarity within yourself, you can be yourself, you don't have to succumb to you know all of the different social media things that we're seeing today, you can truly be the best version of yourself and I found that for me," Black said. "I'm really passionate about career readiness and helping students, young women specifically, find who they are when it comes to their careers and that you can do anything with your career. It doesn't have to be one specific thing, you can really take any path and so that's how The Flawless Movement was born."
And as she navigates her next big feat of Miss USA, she says three words keep her going.
"I call it the three Gs of God, grace and grit," Black said. "Having God with me throughout those entire four years but also throughout my life is something that has been absolutely imperative to having this title, winning this title and moving throughout life. Grit, having the determination, the strength because in a way pageantry is a sport. There’s a lot of strength it takes to get up on that stage to do what these women do and to be able to hold this title. And of course with grace. It’s important to lead with grace, style, class in anything that you do and just to be humble in that as well."
Black's message to other young women is to chase after your goals.
"You never know where it'll lead you," Black said. "I started this not really having the most experience, I didn't grow up doing pageantry and so I think that I'm a testament that you can really just do anything that you put your mind to."
Now she's getting ready for Miss USA, happening later this year; training mentally and physically to prepare and continuing to showcase who she is throughout the state.
"I have found my voice and I think that's the biggest thing I'd also like to share with others," Black said. "Finding your voice is important and sharing your voice is important, because your voice matters."
To follow Black's journey, click here.
