Annette Addo-Yobo of North Texas has made history by being crowned Miss Texas 2024. The prestigious beauty pageant took place on Saturday night at the Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in Richardson.
Addo-Yobo’s victory is significant as she becomes the first immigrant-born and the first Ghanaian to win the title of Miss Texas. Competing as Miss Southlake, she overcame strong competition to earn this honour.
Born in Ghana and raised in Canada and the U.S., Addo-Yobo pursued her education at the University of Texas at Dallas, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2020.
In a heartfelt post on the “Miss Southlake” account, she recounted the challenges she faced due to her citizenship status, which hindered her from seizing many opportunities as a teenager and college student. It was only in 2022 that she received her U.S. citizenship.
Expressing her gratitude in an Instagram post, Addo-Yobo said she is “humbled, honoured, and grateful” to be the 87th Miss Texas and looks forward to “continuing to make history with the Texas community and the Miss Texas class.”
Her victory in the Miss Texas 2024 competition comes with a $20,000 scholarship and the opportunity to represent Texas in the Miss America contest.
Previously holding the title of Miss Dallas in 2023, Addo-Yobo used the pageant’s talent contest to highlight a cause close to her heart: autism awareness.
Her spoken word performance underscored her dedication to this issue, which has been a significant part of her life since her younger brother Andrew was diagnosed on the autism spectrum at age four.
“I want to bring autism safety, awareness, and education to the frontlines of our programming and our legislation. My younger brother Andrew had a large learning curve to overcome as an immigrant to this country,” Addo-Yobo said.
Addo-Yobo’s historic win not only celebrates her personal achievements but also shines a spotlight on the diverse and inclusive future of the Miss Texas pageant.
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