Miss Michigan used her few seconds of TV time to make a statement. While introducing herself at last night’s 2018 Miss America Pageant, Emily Sioma shed light on the ongoing Flint water crisis in her home state.
“From a state with 84 percent of the U.S. fresh water, but none for its residents to drink, I’m Miss Michigan, Emily Sioma,” she said.
In 2014, headlines broke that Flint’s water supply was highly contaminated with lead after the city switched to Flint River as its main water source, killing at least 12 people, according to CNN. State officials are now facing charges related to the crisis.
Sioma didn’t make it into the top 15 of the competition (Nia Imani, Miss New York, was ultimately crowned winner), but she did win over the internet with her bold introduction.
The Flint crisis isn’t the only issue Sioma is advocating. She’s also a sexual assault survivor and activist. On Instagram, she revealed that she protested her own graduation two years ago, where she stood during the ceremony wearing an “I survived” cap.
“I found that even though I was standing alone, I was standing for so much more For every voiceless survivor, I stood. For every survivor, I still stand. I Believe you,” she wrote in a moving post.
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Two years ago I decided it was time to take a stand (quite literally) against sexual assault. Protesting my own graduation was never something I planned, but it is something I will always be proud of. In that moment I found a voice in silence. I found strength through the support of a true friend. I found that even though I was standing alone, I was standing for so much more For every voiceless survivor, I stood. For every survivor, I still stand. I Believe you. ? @mlivenews #SAAM #ibelieveyou
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This year’s Miss America pageant came with some major changes: the swimsuit portion was eliminated contestants are no longer based on looks. “We are no longer a pageant. We are a competition. We will no longer judge our candidates on their outward physical appearance,” Gretchen Carlson, former Miss America and chair of the organization’s board of trustees, announced in June.
“Whatever they choose to do, it’s going to be what comes out of their mouth that we’re interested in when they talk about their social impact initiatives,” she added.
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