Ghana’s Annette Addo-Yobo makes history taking home Miss Texas crown

Annette Addo-Yobo is the first immigrant-born and the first Ghanaian woman to win Miss Texas. According to Dallas News, Addo-Yobo competed as Miss Southlake between June 25 and June 29 even though she previously held the title of Miss Dallas in 2023.

“I am humbled, honored, and grateful to serve as your 87th Miss Texas,” the trailblazer posted on the Miss Texas Instagram account after being crowned on Saturday.

At the competition’s preliminary talent round, she discussed autism awareness while spotlighting her brother, who has autism. Her platform, The SPARK Project, is dedicated to autism safety and education, according to a social media post.

Addo-Yobo stated in an Instagram post that she spent time in both Canada and the United States when her family emigrated when she was about two years old. She earned a psychology degree from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2020, and in 2022 she obtained U.S. citizenship.

In a “Miss Southlake” account post, she discussed how she “lost out on many opportunities as a teenager and college student” because of her citizenship status.

She expressed, “This crown is for every young child, teenager, and adult on the spectrum who felt alienated, abandoned, stereotyped, and unseen because of their different abilities.” This crown is for “young immigrant girls who had to live a life different from everyone else because they were caregivers before they were students, friends, or teammates. This crown is for those who dare to be different.”

The Austin Statesman reported that Addo-Yobo will represent Texas in the Miss America pageant and receive a $20,000 scholarship for winning the Miss Texas 2024 competition.