India LaRoda
India LaRoda was crowned Miss India America 2017 at the 25th anniversary gala in Los Angeles last month.
Laroda has a Black father and a South Asian mother. She is 22 and a pre-med student. LaRoda declared, “I’m honored to be crowned Miss India America 2017! It’s a blessing to be part of history as the first African American and [South Asian] to win this title in 25 years.” ■