Brooklyn woman places in Top 5 at Miss New York USA, traces roots back to Bed-Stuy HS
Monalesa Brackett says she was 17 when she competed in her first pageant, with her mother by her side, who supported her every step of the way.
A Brooklyn woman is making waves in the world of pageantry—not just for placing as second runner-up in this year’s Miss New York USA, but while proudly representing her Muslim identity.
Monalesa Brackett says her goal is to expand the definition of beauty.
“It lets them know not only is it OK to wear your hijab, it’s also OK to be bold, expressive and put yourself out there,” said Brackett.
Her journey into the pageant world began nearly two decades ago at Boys and Girls High School in Bedford-Stuyvesant, when she was randomly given an application for the Miss New York Teens USA competition in the school's hall.
The issue was the entry fee was $1,000.
“I didn’t have $1,000. But in my mom’s salon, a customer overheard and said, ‘Do it—I’ll sponsor you.’ That’s how I got started, with the backing of my mom’s community," she said.
Brackett says she was 17 when she competed in her first pageant, with her mother by her side, who supported her every step of the way.
But this year marked a bittersweet milestone—it was her first competition without her mother, who passed away from colon cancer in 2018.
“I was just thinking, how am I going to do this without my mom?” Brackett said. “But then came my community.”
She credits the Muslim community for giving her the strength to move forward, and says the feedback she received after the competition reaffirmed why representation matters.
“They let me know they were proud of me. It felt good to see someone compete modestly—it gave them hope," she says.
Brackett says she’s already looking ahead to next year’s competition - and this time, she’s aiming for the crown.
