Who was the first black beauty queen?

The first black beauty queen is often recognized as Sarah Jane Woodson Early, who was crowned Miss America in 1921. However, in the context of more modern beauty pageants, the title of the first black Miss America goes to Vanessa Williams, who won in 1984. Additionally, in the Miss Universe pageant, the first black woman to win was Janelle Commissiong from Trinidad and Tobago in 1977. Each of these milestones marked significant progress in the representation of black women in beauty contests.