It's Kristen White's job to make other people look beautiful, so her win as Miss Black USA was, at the very least, good advertising.
The Atlanta resident and cosmetics consultant was crowned Monday night in Las Vegas as the 21st Miss Black USA. She'll receive $20,000 in scholarship money, a walk-on role in Tyler Perry's sitcom "House of Payne" and a week-long trip for two to the Bahamas.
Besides working behind the scenes – her clients have been featured in numerous music videos – White makes a living in front of the camera, modeling for local publications and strutting the runways for designers such as Betsey Johnson and Diane von Furstenberg.
As part of the competition, White, 27, highlighted her work founding Project Protect, which seeks to raise awareness about missing and exploited children. She is a spokeswoman for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Support real journalism. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today. See offers.
Your subscription to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution funds in-depth reporting and investigations that keep you informed. Thank you for supporting real journalism.