The Miss Universe Zimbabwe competition made a spectacular return for the first time in 22 years on Saturday, and a white woman was crowned the winner.
After her controversial victory, 21-year-old Zimbabwe native Brooke Bruk-Jackson responded on Instagram, writing, “My heart is full of joy and gratitude.”
“Thank you to each and every one of you for your kind messages and support,” she added. “GOD IS GOOD!!!”
Bruk-Jackson, who is apparently biracial, continued, “I have gained this crown for our beautiful country, to love and to serve our people, to represent Zimbabwe Internationally and to show the world the uniqueness of Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans.”
Meanwhile, her win sparked outrage across social media because she is a white woman representing an African nation. The runner-ups were Black women. As American Insider reports, White people make up around 2% of Zimbabwe’s population.
“My ancestors rolling in they graves!!!!” one social media user said of Bruk-Jackson’s win.
“All those beautiful melanated women, and you telling me the European woman won a contest for Black people!!??,” said a user on X (formally known as Twitter), per Essence.
“If you understand the world, you’ll understand how the system runs! That’s not MY PICK, that’s not MY MISS ZIMBABWE. Leave me the fawk alone with the stupid s**t. IDGAF,” commented another outraged person on social media.
“I’m not supporting this at all and I’m not here to argue with any mf black people should learn to love and respect themselves stop sending a white girl to represent Zimbabwe 🇿🇼,” Natasja Sibanda posted on Instagram. “[W]e are not white isn’t enough seeing them whites coming from their continent have you ever seen Germany, India Thailand or China sending Black girls to represent them stop being fools…”.
Miss Universe Zimbabwe 2023, Brooke-Bruk Jackson 🇿🇼 pic.twitter.com/edQVSsKIik
— African Hub (@AfricanHub_) September 18, 2023
On Facebook, several people chimed in to support Bruk-Jackson under posts about her winning the beauty competition.
“She’s absolutely gorgeous. If she’s Zimbabwean-born, then she qualifies. Everything else is rato drama. Let her enjoy her limelight moment. Would you like someone taking away something from you at a funeral in public? Or at your wedding, they repossess your car? Don’t make her opportune moment turn into a chance for you to make it difficult for her to rejoice,” Brian Ngoni Muzabazi commented.
As Essence reports, Bruk-Jackson will represent Zimbabwe during the Miss Universe pageant in November in El Salvador.