In brief
Despite facing xenophobic abuse, Miss Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina stands tall as a symbol of resilience after being crowned second runner-up at the Miss Universe competition, making her the highest-placed black African woman in the event since 2019.
Miss Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, has recently expressed immense pride in her accomplishments after securing the second position at the Miss Universe pageant held in Mexico City, while also gaining the titles of Miss Africa and Miss Oceania. “I’m so proud of myself and I just made history,” Adetshina declared after finishing behind Miss Denmark, Victoria Kjær Theilvig.Originally participating in Miss South Africa, where she faced harsh trolling and xenophobic backlash due to her Nigerian heritage, Adetshina had a challenging path. Adding to the drama, South African authorities announced they would revoke her identity documents amidst allegations that her mother had committed fraud to acquire South African nationality. While Adetshina and her mother have not publicly addressed these claims, officials clarified that Adetshina couldn't have been part of any alleged misconduct, as she was just a baby at the time.Amidst these complications, Adetshina transitioned to compete in the Miss Nigeria pageant, which she won, thus qualifying for the Miss Universe contest. Notably, the Miss South Africa contestant who had originally been set to participate, Mia le Roux, withdrew due to a medical condition. Remarkably, le Roux made history as the first deaf woman to win the Miss South Africa title.In a recent interview with the BBC, the law student mentioned her dual pride in being identified as both “proudly South African” and “proudly Nigerian.” However, after the Miss Universe South Africa account publicly congratulated her by displaying both flags, she experienced further online backlash from some South Africans questioning her representation.In response to the trauma and abuse she has endured, Adetshina has indicated her plans to seek therapy. Her noteworthy milestone represents significant progress for black African women in beauty competitions, as she is the highest-placed since South Africa's Zozibini Tunzi achieved victory in 2019.
