Famous Women: Miss Universe 1977
By Alejandro Guevara Onofre
1977 was the year of the Snake in the Chinese horoscope. Indeed, it was a good years for those born in the years 1929, 1941 and 1953.Trinidad Tobago has been recognized as one of the most beautiful countries in the Third World, but the island of Caribbean is also home to the first black Miss Universe in history. Your name: Janelle Penny Commissiong.
In 1953 Janelle "Penny" Commissiong, daughter Venezuelan mother and Trinidad's father entered the world in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, a country known for its music and athletes as Ato Bolton and Hasely Crawford. In the 1960s he moved with his family to the United States.
In New York, studying fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. But she returned to Port of Spain in 1976, when Miss Trinidad and Tobago, Margaret Elizabeth McFarlane, won the title Miss Congeniality. Next year Janelle Commissiong had been selected to represent the island in the Miss Universe 1977 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
During the Miss Miss Universe beauty TT was very popular, but it was the favorite for the title. Miss Austria, Eva Maria Duringer, was a big favorite until last second.She seems Farrah Fawcett, an actress known for her role in the Tv's Charly Angel 1970s.Other favorites were Miss Colombia, Aura Maria Mojica, an exotic girl from Cali, and Miss Nicaragua, Beatriz Lacayo Obregon, a spectacular Latin Barbie from Managua. But none favorite did not speak English very well.
Miss Trinidad and Tobago was elected Miss Photogenic 4 days before the final. She was the second black woman to win the award in the history of Miss Universe. On July 16, at the National Theater of Santo Domingo, Janelle Commissiong was impressive in the semifinal and final. It was a very good day for her. Miss Austria did not show the same talent compared to Miss TT. Minutes later Janelle Commissiong was crowded Miss Universe.
Miss Trinidad and Tobago, drew international attention in 1977 because it was packed as the first black in the chronology Miss Universe. At the end of the transmission, satellite, Trinity celebrated the triumph of Janelle Commissiong. Port of Spain was a carnival. All newspapers had the same story. The New York Times said "Miss Universe 1977 was a bombshell black." Certainly the world does not have a black Miss Universe until 1977.
There were 12 judges: Oscar de la Renta (Dominican designer), Dionne Warwick (American singer), Gordon Parks (American photographer), Roberto Cavalli (designer Italy), Marisol Malaret (former Miss Universe), Wihelmina (designer of the Netherlands) and others. When Janelle was crowded as Miss Universe, Dionne Warwick, said "I felt like I'd won."
After her reign, she had an interview with Joaquín Balaguer, President of the Dominican Republic (a fan of Miss Universe) at the National Palace. As Miss Universe, she visited many nations around the world: from Iceland, Argentina, Hong Kong, Peru, Puerto Rico to the United States.
In 1978 Janelle went to Chile, where he was a special judge on the beaches of "Miss South America. During his reign, which had been an advocate black's rights and world peace. She wants to meet with Idi Amin Dada, one of the worst dictators of the 20th century.
Like Roberto Clemente, Mary Eugenia Charles, Marlene Ottey, Billy Ocean and Tim Duncan, she is an icon in the Caribbean …
About the Author:
I am a writer about Third World issues (human rights, biographies, culture, history, olympic sport, democracy, women´s rights).
I have many books (Mundototal, Power and Woman, and History of Women in the United States) and essays (Dictatorship and Woman:The First Lady of the Cuban Revolution, Taiwan:Democracy and Human Development, Culture and Dictatorships, Fidel Castro and Sport, Pol Pot·, Robert Mugabe and Dictatorship, Indira Gandhi and Alberto Fujimori:The Last Dictatorship. I have studies in Journalism, Political Science and International Relations.
Interests and Hobbies:
My hobbies and interests are writing essays, going to the gym, browsing the Internet, Foreign Politics, learning about cultures, reading (my favourite writer is Juan Gasparini from Argentina), cooking Peruvian food, listening to American and British Music (my favourite singer is Barry White). My personal motto is the future is for those people who believe in the beauty of their dreams by Eleanor Roosevelt…My heroes are Frida Kahlo (Mexican painter), Mpule Kwelagobe (ex Miss Universe and currently Anti-AIDS activist), Bono, Dian Fossey, Jimmy Carter, Oprah Winfrey,Hernando de Soto, Javier Perez de Cuellar and Mario Vargas Llosa…
My dream is to become an international reporter….
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