ASYA BRANCH IS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO REPRESENT MISSISSIPPI IN THE MISS USA PAGENAT AND THE FIRST EVER FROM THE STATE TO BE CROWNED THE WINNER. 16 WAPT'S ALLIE WARE TALKED TO HER ABOUT THE COMPETITION AND HER NEW ROLE AS MISS USA 2020. ..."YOUR NEXT MISS USA IS.....MISSISSIPPI!"(WE USED THIS IN MORNING SHOW)) SOT- ASYA BRANCH- MISS USA 2020 "IT FEELS LIKE A DREAM, ITS INCREDIBLE AND I HONESTLY HAVEN'T EVEN LET IT SINK IN YET." ASYA BRANCH IS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO BE CROWNED MISS MISSISSIPPI USA AND THE FIRST FROM THE MAGNOLJIA STATE TO TAKE HOME THE TITLE OF MISS USA. 2:45-2:51 "I AM GRATEFUL TO SERVE AS THE EXAMPLE TO SHOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK LIKE THE PERSON WHO CAME BEFORE THEM AND THEY CAN BREAK BARRIERS." ON THE MISS USA STAGE BRANCH WAS ASKED ABOUT THE POLITICAL DIVIDE IN OUR COUNTRY, AND SAYS SHE SPOKE FROM THE HEART AND GAVE AN HONEST ANSWER. 4:51-5:01 "I TALKED ABOUT TRUST AND ITS ALL ABOUT TRUST. I THINK WE HAVE LOST SOME OF THAT TRUST AND WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO RESTORE IT." 2020 HAS BROUGHT MANY CHANGES INCLUDING THE WAY PAGEANTS ARE DONE WHICH PRESENTED CHALLENGES. 25-34 "YOU ARE USED TO STAGE CHOREOGRAPHY BUT NOT MASK CHOREOGRAPHY SO KNOWING WHEN TO PUT IT ON WHEN IT WAS OK TO TAKE IT OFF AND KEEPING SOCIAL DISTANCE." BRANCH SAYS SHE IS GRATEFUL FOR THE MEASURES TAKEN TO PROTECT THE CONTESTANTS. 2020 ALSO BROUGHT A NEW LOCATION FOR THE PAGEANT. THIS YEAR THE COMPETITION WAS HELD AT GRACELAND IN MEMPHIS, TN, NOT FAR FROM THE BOONEVILLE NATIVES HOME. 1:07-1:!4 "I THINK IT HELPED WITH MY COMFORTABILITY ESPECIALLY BEING SO CLOSE TO TUPELO WHERE ELVIS WAS BORN IT FELT LIKE HOME." BRANCH IS MOVING TO NEW YORK THIS WEEK TO FUFILL HER DUTIES AS MISS USA, AND NEXT FOR HER IS MISS UNIVERSE. 3:34-3:46 "I HAVE MY ANKLE WEIGHTS IN MY CARRY ON TO MAKE SURE I CAN DO MY AT HOME WORKOUTS AND KEEPING UP TO DATE ON CURRENT EVENTS AND AWARE OF THE WORLD AROUND ME." RIGHT NOW THERE IS NO SET DATE FOR MISS UNIVERSE BECAUSE OF THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC. ALLIE WARE, 16 WAPT NE