Carole Gist

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Carole Anne-Marie Gist was the first African American woman to win the Miss USA title.

Gist first won the title of Miss Michigan USA and went on to win the Miss USA crown on March 2, 1990 in Wichita, Kansas. The 1990 pageant is to this day considered by many fans the most competitive ever in the history of Miss USA.

Gist, a 5'11 3/4" (182 cm) Detroit native, 20 years old at the time, eventually became first runner-up to Mona Grudt of Norway in the Miss Universe pageant of that same year (her runner-up at Miss USA, Gina Tolleson of South Carolina, went on to win Miss World that year). She was also the first contestant from Michigan to win Miss USA, and broke the five-year streak of winners from Texas, known as the Texas Aces.

Gist was a graduate of Cass Technical High School in Detroit. At the time of her coronation, she was a junior marketing and management major at Northwood Institute at Midland, Michigan. At the time of this entry, she is a professional singer based in Midland. She also co-hosts a gospel show for the WORD network.