Erica Nego
{{Short description|American beauty queen, model and businesswoman}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Erica Nego
| image = Erica Nego press conference .jpg
| image_size =
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| birth_place = Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = c. 1984
| other_names = Yayra Nego
| height =
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| children =
| nationality = American {{flagicon|United States of America}}
Ghanaian {{flagicon|Ghana}}
| known_for = {{Plainlist|
- Miss Minnesota USA 2009
(Winner) - Miss USA 2009
(Top 15) - Miss Universe Ghana 2011
(Winner) - Miss Universe 2011
(Unplaced)
}}
| occupation =
| citizenship = America
| alma_mater =
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}}
Erica Yayra Nego (born {{Circa|1984|lk=yes}} in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American-Ghanaian businesswoman, model and beauty pageant titleholder. She was elected Miss Minnesota USA 2009 and Miss Universe Ghana 2011,{{cite web|title=Miss Ghana Universe Website |url=http://ghmissuniverse.com/title-holders/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222154456/http://ghmissuniverse.com/title-holders/ |archive-date=2014-02-22 }}{{Cite web |last=Grossberg |first=Michael |title=Colorism, bullying in Ohio State graduate's 'Mean Girls'-influenced coming-of-age play |url=https://www.dispatch.com/story/entertainment/theater/2022/01/23/ohio-state-graduate-jocelyn-bioh-play-school-girls-bullying-columbus/6571032001/ |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=The Columbus Dispatch |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |last3= |last4= |first4= |title=A West African spin on queen bees and mean teens - The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater/dance/2019/05/01/west-african-spin-queen-bees-and-mean-teens/IJ6mh4nWYIV45XBhsjCmbO/story.html |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=BostonGlobe.com |language=en-US}}
Nego is the co-founder of Style & Grace, a Minneapolis-based etiquette academy.{{Cite web|url=http://www.showcaseminnesota.com/show/client_article.aspx?storyid=895345|title=Mind Your Manners: Holiday Etiquette Tips|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031134/http://www.showcaseminnesota.com/show/client_article.aspx?storyid=895345|archive-date=2016-03-04|access-date=2018-07-19}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.securenigeria365.com/10-things-didnt-know-erica-nego/|title=10 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ERICA NEGO - SecureNigeria365|date=2017-04-07|work=SecureNigeria365|access-date=2018-07-19|language=en-US}}
Early life
Nego was born in about 1984 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.{{Cite web |last=Walljasper |first=Matt |date=2020-02-07 |title=True Colors' production of School Girls sparks conversation about colorism and pretty privilege |url=https://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/true-colors-production-of-school-girls-sparks-conversation-about-colorism-and-pretty-privilege/ |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=Atlanta Magazine |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Cristi |first=A. A. |title=The Garden Theatre Goes Back To School In SCHOOL GIRLS; OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/houston/article/The-Garden-Theatre-Goes-Back-To-School-In-SCHOOL-GIRLS-OR-THE-AFRICAN-MEAN-GIRLS-PLAY-20220427 |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Beauty and the colorism beast: Norfolk's Generic Theater rocks a mean African 'School Girls' |url=https://www.pilotonline.com/entertainment/arts/vp-db-mean-girls-070822-20220707-xhqueua5tjg73l4oxo43fzzxe4-story.html |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=The Virginian-Pilot|date=7 July 2022 }} At the age of 12, she was signed to Ford Modeling Agency.{{cn|date=December 2022}} She is of Ghanaian,{{Cite web |title=St. Petersburg's American Stage addresses colorism in new play 'School Girls' |url=https://www.tampabay.com/life-culture/arts/stage/2022/02/15/st-petersburgs-american-stage-addresses-colorism-in-new-play-school-girls/ |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}} German and Persian ancestry.{{Cite news|url=https://www.modernghana.com/lifestyle/2385/16/yayra-nego-is-miss-universe-ghana.html|title=Yayra Nego is Miss Universe Ghana|date=2011-07-03|work=Modern Ghana|access-date=2018-07-19|language=en-gb}}
Pageants
As Miss Minnesota USA 2009, Nego competed at Miss USA 2009 placing in the top 15 at the competition. She also competed at Miss Universe 2011 in São Paulo, Brazil on September 12, 2011.{{Cite press release|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sao-paulo-brazil-to-host-the-2011-miss-universe-pageant-live-on-nbc-112007979.html|title=Sao Paulo, Brazil to Host the 2011 MISS UNIVERSE® Pageant Live on NBC|website=www.prnewswire.com|language=en|access-date=2018-07-19}}
In popular culture
The play School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play by Jocelyn Bioh was inspired by the 2011 Miss Universe Ghana competition in which Nego participated,{{Cite web |last=Holdren |first=Sara |date=2017-11-16 |title=Theater Review: The Funny, Fierce, Fearsome Competition of School Girls |url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/11/theater-school-girls-or-the-african-mean-girls-play.html |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=Vulture |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |title=In 'School Girls,' African And Western Beauty Standards Collide In Dramatic Fashion |url=https://dcist.com/story/19/09/25/in-school-girls-african-and-western-beauty-standards-collide-in-dramatic-fashion/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001084132/https://dcist.com/story/19/09/25/in-school-girls-african-and-western-beauty-standards-collide-in-dramatic-fashion/ |url-status=live |archive-date=October 1, 2019 |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=DCist |language=en}} and the controversy around colorism that this contest sparked.{{cite news |title=Inspired by Minnesota beauty queen, Jungle Theater's 'School Girls' questions colorism |author=Chris Hewitt |date=March 13, 2019 |newspaper=StarTribune |url=http://www.startribune.com/inspired-by-minnesota-beauty-queen-jungle-theater-s-school-girls-questions-colorism/507095222/ |access-date=April 15, 2019}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Miss USA 2009 delegates}}
{{Miss Universe 2011 delegates}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nego, Erica}}
Category:Businesspeople from Minneapolis
Category:Ghanaian beauty pageant contestants
Category:American beauty pageant contestants
Category:Miss Universe Ghana winners
Category:Miss USA 2009 delegates
Category:Miss Universe 2011 contestants
Category:Ghanaian people of German descent
Category:Ghanaian people of Iranian descent
Category:American people of Ghanaian descent
Category:American people of German descent
Category:American people of Iranian descent
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