{{Short description|American beauty queen, model and businesswoman}} {{Infobox person | name = Erica Nego | image = Erica Nego press conference .jpg | image_size = | caption = | birth_place = Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | birth_name = | birth_date = c. 1984 | other_names = Yayra Nego | height = | spouse = | children = Ghanaian {{flagicon|Ghana}} | known_for = {{Plainlist| * Miss Minnesota USA 2009<br>(Winner) * Miss USA 2009<br>(Top 15) * Miss Universe Ghana 2011<br>(Winner) * Miss Universe 2011<br>(Unplaced) }} | occupation = | citizenship = America <br /> Ghana | alma_mater = | awards = | education = | website = }}
'''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,<ref name="Miss Ghana Universe Website">{{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 }}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
Nego is the co-founder of Style & Grace, a Minneapolis-based etiquette academy.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
==Early life== Nego was born in about 1984 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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 }}</ref> At the age of 12, she was signed to Ford Modeling Agency.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}} She is of Ghanaian,<ref>{{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}}</ref> German and Persian ancestry.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==Pageants== As Miss Minnesota USA 2009, Nego competed at Miss USA 2009 placing in the top 15 at the competition.<ref name="Miss Ghana Universe Website"/> She also competed at Miss Universe 2011 in São Paulo, Brazil on September 12, 2011.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==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,<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> and the controversy around colorism that this contest sparked.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}} {{Miss USA 2009 delegates}} {{Miss Universe 2011 delegates}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nego, Erica}} Category:1980s births Category:Living people Category:Businesspeople from Minneapolis Category:Ghanaian beauty pageant contestants Category:21st-century 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 Category:Ewe people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
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