All Hail the Queen: Gabrielle Wilson is the 54th Miss Black America

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Gabrielle Kaye Wilson is a self-proclaimed nerd.

The Marina del Rey resident earned top honors when she studied political science and business economics at Loyola Marymount University. She also obtained a certificate in computer science and data analytics from Mission College.

She parlayed her degrees into a position in mergers and acquisitions as a reporting and analytics analyst.

“It’s super nerdy and super niche,” says Wilson, who is passionate about data and AI.

Recently, she was crowned the 54th Miss Black America — the first winner from California.

“I’ve competed in pageants all of my life,” Wilson says. “At LMU, I competed for Miss Marina del Rey. I was the first runner-up. I also competed in Miss LA in the Miss America system, and Miss Teen San Bernardino, the latter of which I won.”

Wilson’s mother, Lana Young, served as Miss Black America California. (Her father is Reginald Wilson.)

“Her experiences had a profound impact on her,” she says. “It was something I was excited to be a part of. I had never competed in pageants for Black women, more so of women from different stages, cultures and ethnicities.

“I made the decision that I wanted to do it. I wanted to have that experience that my mother was able to have.”

The pageant was founded by J. Morris Anderson in Philadelphia in 1968 as a way to protest the lack of Black contestants in the Miss America pageant. Supporters include Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield and pageant winner Oprah Winfrey.

“J. Morris Anderson had two daughters who wanted to be Miss America,” Wilson says. “At the time, during the ’60s, it was written in the bylaws for the Miss America system that you could not be a woman from the Negro race.

“He knew his daughters wouldn’t be able to compete and that led to the birth of the pageant.”

Wilson says the pageant is the perfect fit for Black women.

“Miss Black America is a subject matter expert in the Black community, the Black culture and the different issues when it comes to Black people here in the United States,” she says.

Wilson was crowned by Anderson, as well as Kathleen Bradley-Reed, Miss Black America California 1971. Becoming a part of the pageant’s legacy thrills Wilson. She’s following in the footsteps of

Winfrey, Toni Braxton, Halle Berry and Miss Black America 1977 Claire Ford.

“These are women who have had an incredible impact within the Black community,” Wilson says. “I’m looking forward to making an impact and being able to give back.”

Multitalented

Wilson is a woman of many talents. She has played the violin since the second grade. Thanks to her band director at Los Osos High School, Dr. Sam Andress, she performed in Paris, London and around the United States. Her efforts were supported by her parents and family.

“From there, I’ve always been extremely passionate about music as well as technology,” she says.

Wilson’s journey of giving back started long before her win. Her robust resume includes time as a former student assistant for the Office of the President at Loyola Marymount University and an intern for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Through these experiences, she honed her skills and used her experiences to create opportunities for her community.

Wilson’s list of accolades runs the gamut, from being a Clinton Global Initiative University Fellow to founding “Code with Gab,” an educational platform aimed at empowering students with technical and professional skills for the tech industry. She has received international recognition for her initiatives. She was the Clinton Foundation’s Code for Impact Winner and Assemblymember Eloise Gomez Reyes 30 under 30 awardee.

In her spare time, Wilson is passionate about painting, health and fitness, volunteering, traveling, coding competitions (winning over $30,000 in prizes), salsa dancing and nurturing her rose garden in her backyard. She says she enjoys creating equitable opportunities and safe spaces for Black women in tech.

“I’ve always been a busybody, as my mom loves to say,” she says with a laugh. “I worked on now-Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ campaign. I love hearing about incredible women doing incredible policy work. I want to be as close to them as possible.”

Gabrielle Kaye Wilson
www.gabriellekwilson.com