Shields won the talent competition with a jazz dance to a song from the TV show “Smash”, according to CBS.
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However, Shields had her own minor misstep during the question portion of the final night.
The second runner-up was Miss New York Camille Sims.
Savvy Shields, 21, wore an elegant strapless black evening gown as she accepted the crown from the 2016 victor, Betty Cantrell of Georgia. NJ.com reports she accidentally referred to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as “contestants”, not candidates, when asked about the Democratic presidential nominee. The Santa Monica production company, which helms shows like the Billboard Music Awards and the Golden Globes, was brought in two years ago to boost the public profile of Miss America.
In a July interview Ms. Shields said, “Pageant girls and women, in general, are always striving, or it’s tempting to be striving, for perfectionism. I don’t want to think that I’ve hit it”, Shields says. During her year as Miss America she will serve as a spokesperson for Eat Better, Live Better. “It’s hard to tell what is truth and what is truly scandal, but both of these candidates have done a great job”, Us Magazine reported, calling the answer “puzzling”. Her secret dream is to be a backup dancer for Beyoncé.
After her run as Miss America, Savvy will return to the University of Arkansas as a senior studying art and long-term she wants to “work in a museum and teach at a collegiate level”.
Miss Arkansas, Savvy Shields, claimed the title of Miss America.
Many other contestants who are now openly gay including Djuan Trent, who competed in Miss America for the state of Kentucky in 2011, came out after competing.
And there you have it, 2017’s Miss America.
Miss America 2017 contestants appear onstage during the 2017 Miss America Competition at Boardwalk Hall Arena, Sept. 11, 2016 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
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The pageant began in Atlantic City in 1921 as a way to extend the summer tourist season beyond Labor Day weekend.
