Source: Yahoo! News
Before the competition, Coquerel, whose mother is from Benin in West Africa, told France 3 television that she believed her mixed heritage was an advantage.
“It shows that today’s France is a mixed France, where there is every culture, and I think a lot of people will see themselves in me,”
she said.
Her victory came amid concern over a series of racist incidents in France, including slurs against the country’s top black politician, Justice Minister Christiane Taubira, who has been compared to a monkey several times in recent months.
In her first post-pageant press conference, Coquerel suggested her victory was a evidence of France’s acceptance of different backgrounds.
Read the full story on Yahoo! News.
