On Saturday, Raissa Santana became only the 2nd Black woman ever to be crowned Miss Brazil in the pageant's 61 year history.
This year the pageant had a record number of Black contestants. Six of the 27 candidates were Black. Though that number doesn't reflect the racial makeup of a country that's more than half Black or mixed race.
The progress reflects a slow move toward accepting a more inclusive beauty standard. Brazil has a long history of marginalizing its darker citizens. The country's biggest names, including supermodel Gisele Bundchen, are often white.
21-year-old Santana is a student who represented ParanĂ¡.
The last Black woman to win the crown was Deise Nunes in 1986.
