Alexis Smith was crowned Miss Kansas last month. She wowed audiences when she told them that her abuser was in the audience, reinforcing her platform of ending domestic violence. Miss America/AP/File...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING.>>
Being a pageant winner takes more than beauty and talent. The newly crowned Miss Kansas Alexis Smith showed that winning the title sometimes requires bravery, too.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Smith stunned the judges during her final interview at the Miss Kansas competition last month when she said that her abuser was in the audience.
It only reinforced the importance of her platform — “to eliminate unhealthy and abusive relationships.”
When asked about her vision for her tenure as Miss Kansas, Smith maintained her composure in a sparkly azure dress.
“Some of you out in this audience saw me very emotional, because my abuser is here today,” she said.
“But that’s not going to stop me from being on this Miss Kansas stage and from representing as the next Miss Kansas,” she continued to applause and cheers. “Because I and my community deserve healthy relationships.”
She provided more context in an Instagram post the month after her win. On the night of the pageant, she said, “someone I have been healing from tried to disrupt my peace.”
“Instead of falling into silence, I chose to live out my vision for a better world,” she wrote. “I took back my power — not just for myself, but for my dreams and everyone watching and listening.”
She added, “I’m ready to use my story, tools, and resources to end unhealthy relationships in all forms.”
In an interview with local Wichita TV station KSN, Smith said, “every single woman in my family was impacted by domestic violence.” Her first relationship began at age 14 and lasted until 2018 or 2019, she told KSN, and it was abusive.
“It’s something that I’m still experiencing and dealing with today,” she told the station. “Domestic violence does not discriminate.”
She’ll use her platform to continue to speak out against domestic violence in Kansas and beyond, she said.
Earlier during the Miss Kansas competition, Smith, who works as an ICU nurse, achieved victories in preliminary rounds for both health and fitness, as well as talent (where Smith showcased a ventriloquism act with two puppets). Additionally, as the state champion, Smith received scholarships totaling over $15,000.
Smith and other state winners will compete for the Miss America crown in January.
