Annette Addo-Yobo was crowned Miss Texas over the weekend, becoming the first immigrant and Ghanaian to be crowned in the event’s history.
The beauty pageant happened Saturday night at Richardson’s Charles W. Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts.
Following the win, Annette took to Instagram stating that she was “humbled, honored, and grateful” to be the 87th Miss Texas and intended to “continue making history with the Texas community and the Miss Texas class.”
‘SPARK’ing Autism Awareness
Annette Addo-Yobo used the pageant’s talent contest to raise awareness about a matter close to her heart.
Her spoken word performance was only to showcase her dedication to raising autism awareness, a topic that originally struck her heart as a child.
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“I want to put autism safety, awareness, and education at the forefront of our programming and legislation. My younger brother Andrew was diagnosed on the autism spectrum when he was four years old and as an immigrant to this nation, he had a steep learning curve to surmount,” Addo-Yobo explained.
It appears like winning the pageant has only heightened Addo-Yobo’s drive to use her platform.
The SPARK’ing Project targets structural disparities that she has seen her brother Andrew encounter in many settings.
“As a sibling to someone on the spectrum, I noticed the systemic inequities and lack of education and training very early,” Addo-Yobo wrote on Instagram.
“It is my mission to amplify the voices of the autistic community and ensure that legislators, decision-makers, and community members see us and fight for us.”
Annette has also participated as Miss Southlake this year after previously holding the title of Miss Dallas in 2023.
During her participation, she discussed how she “lost out on many opportunities as a teenager and college student” because of her citizenship status.
It wasn’t until 2022 that she gained US citizenship.
Her Miss Southlake social media platform also highlights some of her earlier activities, such as raising autism awareness on Capitol Hill in March as the lone volunteer spokesperson for Autism Speaks.
Annette Addo-Yobo was born in Ghana and raised in Canada and the United States.
Annette attended the University of Texas at Dallas and graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Annette Addo-Yobo will receive a $20,000 scholarship as the winner of the Miss Texas 2024 competition. She will also represent Texas in the Miss America pageant.
