Asya Branch

Asya Danielle Branch is an American beauty pageant titleholder, model, and advocate who gained national recognition after winning Miss USA 2020. Born on May 5, 1998, in Detroit, Michigan, she moved to Booneville, Mississippi, at a young age, where she was raised. She later attended the University of Mississippi, studying Integrated Marketing Communications with an emphasis in public relations. Branch made history as both the first Black woman to be crowned Miss Mississippi USA and the first representative from Mississippi to win the Miss USA title.

Early Life and Pageantry

Branch began competing in pageants during her youth, earning local honors before capturing the Miss Mississippi title in 2018. She went on to represent her home state at the Miss America 2019 competition. In October 2019, she competed for and won the title of Miss Mississippi USA 2020. Her national victory came in November 2020, when she was crowned Miss USA at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. She represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2020 pageant in Hollywood, Florida, where she placed among the Top 21 contestants.

Advocacy and Public Work

Central to Branch's public career is her dedicated advocacy for criminal justice reform and supporting children of incarcerated parents. Drawing from her personal experience growing up with a father who was incarcerated, she launched the initiative Finding Your Way: Empowering Children of Incarcerated Parents. The platform includes programs like Love Letters, which promotes continuous communication between incarcerated individuals and their children. During her tenure as Miss Mississippi, she participated in a White House roundtable discussion on criminal justice reform and advocated for community-focused legislative changes.

Business and Other Ventures

In addition to her pageantry and public advocacy, Branch is an entrepreneur and public speaker. She founded Branch Beauty, a cosmetics brand offering specialized lip and beauty products. Leveraging her degree in Integrated Marketing Communications, she has worked in public relations, modeling, and brand partnerships, while continuing to offer coaching for aspiring pageant contestants. Throughout her platform, she emphasizes mental resilience, youth mentorship, and educational empowerment.