Filipino American Chelsea Manalo made history on Wednesday by becoming the first Black woman to be crowned Miss Universe Philippines. 👑⁠ ⁠ “I grew up having insecurities as I was always bullied because of my skin and my hair type,” she said, as per CNN. Speaking to ABS-CBN News, she recalled always wanting to play with her classmates “but they would say hurtful things to me and I would go home crying.”⁠ ⁠ Her victory challenges traditional beauty standards in the country. She emphasized using her beauty and confidence to empower others, highlighting the challenges she faced as a woman of color.⁠ ⁠ Manalo will represent the Philippines at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico, aiming to bring home the country’s fifth crown. This year’s Miss Universe competition will feature over 100 countries and has removed the upper age limit for contestants.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 🤳Learn more in the full article on our website in our linkinbio ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 📽️Video by: Gabe Jung⁠ ⁠⁠🌸 Happy AAPI Heritage Month!⁠ 💬Comment “e...