Pamela Uba, is a 26-year-old medical scientist, who made history as the first black woman to be crowned Miss Ireland in the country since the pageant began in 1947.
She told the Irish times:
“It means so much to me. I am so grateful I can show girls that colour is not something that holds you back and it doesn’t matter where you come from, the world is your oyster.”
According to the Times Uba is a part-time model who worked on the frontline during the pandemic.
She came to Ireland as an asylum seeker from Johannesburg, in South Africa, when she was seven.
“I remember thinking it was strange that I couldn’t hear gunshot when I arrived,” she says. The eldest of six siblings, she grew up in the direct-provision system and is now a “very proud” Irish citizen.
“I cried when I got my Irish passport.”
Pamela, is very proud to be Irish but she has dealt with her share of racism. She continued to share that when she was crowned Miss Galway March 2020 she was subjected to racist trolls on social media.
“I’ve experienced racism, and it’s horrible to hear people telling me to go back to my country when I’ve worked so hard to make Ireland my home,” she says.
“People shouldn’t be made to stand still for years and years,” she says. “I was in it for 10 years, not knowing what was happening or when my life could start.
People need to be able to live their lives. I hope Ireland continues to help people, but the direct-provision system needs to be rethought and possibly removed.”
In December Uba will represent Ireland at the 70th Miss World festival, in Puerto Rico. “I can’t even describe how excited I am to represent my country on such a huge platform. I can’t wait.”
She hopes to use her Miss Ireland title to represent a more diverse Ireland.
Congratulations to her on such an historical win!
