Miss Angola, Leila Lopes, Crowned Miss Universe 2011

Leila Lopes, Miss Angola, crowned Miss Universe 2011, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Miss Angola, Leila Lopes, crowned Miss Universe 2011 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Miss Ukraine took the second place, with Miss Brazil in third. Rounding out the top five, Miss Philippines took the fourth spot, with Miss China coming in fifth. We've got a sistah leading the pack! Miss Angola exudes such beauty and grace. Great for Angola and Africa!

Has the Miss Universe pageant, described as a "glorified bikini contest," set the women's movement back decades?

The NY Daily News' lead-in to the photo of Lopes flanked by other contestants, states: "Miss Universe pageant: Angolan bombshell wins glorified bikini contest, sets the women's movement back decades." Do you really think the Miss Universe pageant, or any other beauty pageant, sets us back as women?

Leila Lopes had to fend off questions about cosmetic surgery on first full day after she was crowned Miss Universe. Is it so far-fetched that a black woman could  be so beautiful without the aid of cosmetic surgery? The media is a mess.

Responding to questions, Lopes said that she has never had cosmetic surgery of any kind and that her three tips for beauty were to get a lot of sleep, use sun block even when it's not sunny and to drink lots of water. She said her smile was her best weapon in the competition.

Asked about racism in light of the fact that she's one of the few blacks ever crowned Miss Universe, Lopes said that "any racist needs to seek help. It's not normal in the 21st century to think in that way."