Former Miss BVI now vying for Miss World USVI crown
Former Miss British Virgin Islands A’yana Keshelle Phillips known as ‘Lady Mix’ will be one of two contestants vying for the Miss World US Virgin Islands (USVI) crown.
Phillips, who was one of the two contestants in the Miss BVI pageant just last year, shared the first runner-up position with Helina Hewlett when she was crowned the BVI’s 2018 queen.
According to the Miss World USVI Facebook post on September 22, Phillips is set to contest the Miss USVI crown at the neighbouring territory’s Island Center on Sunday, October 6.
“We invite you to witness pageantry like no other. Our native Virgin Island queens, no strangers to the pageant scene will display the best in sisterhood, community-giving, purpose and beauty,” a statement said.
The statement further read: “One queen, will voyage to the International Miss World stage in London this year. The new Miss World USVI Pageant 2019 — a community initiative, an authentic stride, a force to take on the world with purpose! See you there!”
Social media users question nationality of contestants
Jaielean Jagrup, owner of the Miss World USVI franchise described both Phillips and her competitor as ‘USVI locals’.
She gave that description responding to a question by one woman who wrote: “Are the contestants actually from the VI? [I’m] Asking for a friend.”
“At Miss World USVI we have a very strict residency/lineage policy when it comes to our contestants. Both are authentic born and raised local US Virgin Islanders,” Jagrup said in her response.
According to information submitted about Phillips during her stint as the 2018 Miss BVI, she is from the Third District community of Sea Cow’s Bay on Tortola.
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Wow!!! This is amazing! How can you be authentic to two countries? Where she born? This is the crazyness going on now. I guess because she got BVI roots no one gonna say anything. If was a person born Dominica but is a BVI belonger they would be up in arms about this.
She born USVI, went to school USVI, spent many holidays and time in the BVI and her family from BVI. She is a Virgin Islander !!!!!
Point is nobody talking about anybody from Dominica. Focus on the article and stop with the “what if’s”. People always trying to make a hurricane out of a few dark clouds. Jus guh seh dung ….
The “liberator” does with his 3rd district voters..
Y’all don’t understand….we is we.
Bull, my family, mother, father, grandmother and grand father barn in F’sted St. Croix USVI. I tired of them other island people coming to my home claiming to be from there, when all ah we know they come deh small.
Bull, my family, mother, father, grandmother and grand father barn in F’sted St. Croix USVI. I tired of them other island people coming to my home claiming to be from there, when all ah we know they come deh small.
Look people we USVI people can trace our roots way back my fadah (as we crucian say) was on St. Croix when the American flag was raised, I is a real USV Islander, me ain’t come STX small me barn yah, me family been ya before Yankee flag raise.
She needs to pick a place of residence and a place she wants to represent – authentically. All the lovely words spoken about BVI will they now be uttered with the replacement of B to US? Will BVI no longer be the best place in the world because of her ambitions to wear a crown?
The name Virgin Islands is a lie. Columbus did not discover this place. Therefore, he could not name it after St. Ursula and her eleven thousand virgins. The story of St. Ursula is a European fable. Go check it out for yourself. I for beauty with a purpose. Let our beauty queens raise the issues that some of our politicians fail to raise, like child abuse, homelessness, healthcare etc.
YoLo
Girl live ur life.
Run for whatever you want
Make yourself happy
These tortolians like to bang their mouth all day long