From Ghana’s Gold Coast to Thailand’s Golden Crown
Abena Akuaba Appiah, a 27-year-old musical therapist born in Ghana, made history on March 27th, 2021 when she was crowned Miss Grand International 2020. Representing her other nation of citizenship, the United States of America, Akuaba became the first black woman to win the prestigious pageant in its eight-year history.
The daughter of a Ghanian mother and an American father, Abena moved to the US at age 4, where she experienced severe bullying over her appearance.
“I was frequently picked on and told that I was ugly, that my hair was ugly. It made me not believe in myself for a long time,” she recalled.
After returning to Ghana at age 9 and later coming back to America at 14, Abena decided to face her fears and make fighting bullying her life’s purpose.
“Education can change everything,” believes Akuaba, who works as a musical therapist with special needs children. She is also a singer, actress and fashion student who preaches self-acceptance and inner beauty. “My mom thought me to love my enemies because love is more powerful than hate,” she says.
A Road Paved With Obstacles
Akuaba’s journey to the Miss Grand International crown has seen its fair share of setbacks. After winning local pageants in the US and representing Ghana in international competitions like Miss Universe 2014 and Miss Earth 2019, she was preparing to compete in Miss Grand California 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
Undeterred, Abena entered the first-ever online Miss Grand USA pageant and won the title. As the US representative in Bangkok, she studied some Thai language and culture in preparation. Always a favorite to win, Akuaba broke down in tears when she made the Top 20, overwhelmed by an online bully telling her she didn’t stand a chance.
“When I was about to enter the MGI stage, I checked the messages on my smartphone and saw someone telling me that I did not stand a chance to win, being black and ugly,” she recalled.
Destiny Calls in Thailand
In a profound moment of solidarity, Miss Guatemala Ivana Batchelor witnessed Akuaba’s distress and offered words of encouragement, telling the Ghanaian-American she was beautiful and should ignore the cruel comments. Batchelor even texted her own parents to cheer Akuaba on.
“Ivana ́s action was so essential for everything that would happen next! I cannot thank her enough,” said an emotional Akuaba after being crowned. In a twist of fate, she ended up tying for the win with Batchelor and Miss Philippines Samantha Bernardo, whom she had met and trained with in Manila.
When the judges made their final decision, it was Abena Akuaba Appiah’s name that was called, making her the first black Miss Grand International in a fairy tale ending.
“I kept pushing myself throughout all these years to prove that I could do it. I wanted girls like me to have me as an example and mostly, to believe in themselves,” she said.
With the golden crown now resting on her head, the good-hearted queen from Ghana’s Gold Coast is ready to inspire the world with her grace, strength and determination in the face of adversity.
