As many of us sat glued to our TV screens last night awaiting the final results of the Miss USA 2016 pageant, my heart was immediately filled with warmth and gratitude. Not only was the pageant quite a show-stopped, but I realized ALL three top contestants (Miss District of Columbia, Miss Georgia, and Miss Hawaii) were women of color. While that was enough for me to be content, I literally screamed when Deshauna Barber, aka Miss District of Columbia, was crowned Miss USA 2016.DeShauna-Barber-Miss-USA-2016-7DeShauna-Barber-Miss-USA-2016-6

Deshauna Barber is a lot of things to a lot of people. I can’t help but admit I have a soft spot in my heart for her simply because she proudly reps my city of Washington, D.C. Aside from being a Washingtonian, she is also an HBCU graduate, woman of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and an active member in the US Army. Talk about Black Girl Magic!

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LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 05:  Miss District of Columbia USA 2016 Deshauna Barber (L) is congratulated by Miss Teen USA 2016 Katherine Haik as she is named Miss USA 2016 during the 2016 Miss USA pageant at T-Mobile Arena on June 5, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

As someone who has many family members who have actively participated in the military, army and various reserves, seeing a Woman of Color represent herself so gracefully yet with power truly fueled me. However, she didn’t just glorify the work that those who risk their lives for us every single day do, but she also spotlighted the internal and systemic damage that can come from it. Hearing her platform and what she aims to do with her crown and title, I was enthralled almost to the point of tears. Her platform focuses on PTSD treatment for soldiers and suicide prevention efforts among those in the armed forces.

When you exercise that black girl magic, it’s not just for you to shine. It’s for your light to help others.

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2016 MISS USA®: WINNING MOMENTS: 2016 MISS USA is Miss District Of Columbia Deshauna Barber. The 65th Annual MISS USA® competition airs live from the T-Mobile Arena at MGM Grand in Las Vegas Sunday, June 5 (7:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.

Congratulations to this beautiful chocolate Queen who has taught us, once again, that Black girls rock and that there IS a space for us to achieve our goals and make a difference. I can not wait to see what she continues to do.

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What do you think of the Miss USA 2016 pageant results?

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