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Jet, June 14, 1999

Miss Botswana, Mpule Kwelagobe, 19, recently was crowned Miss Universe, making her the third Black to hold the coveted title in the pageant's 48-year history.

Her crowning at the Universe Center in Chaguaramas, Trinidad, was a major accomplishment for the southern African nation with its first-ever contestant at the beauty pageant.

Kwelagobe became the third Black to win the title. Her crowning was historic in that it marked the first time that an outgoing Black queen, Wendy Fitzwilliam of Trinidad and Tobago, passed the title to another Black.

Her prize includes a $40,000 salary for the year's reign as the last Miss Universe of the century, along with a mountain of cash, a plush apartment in New York City for the year and a bonanza of designer clothes, jewelry, luggage and makeup.

Among the judges were world heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, Buffalo Bills lineman Bruce Smith and Sirio Maccioni, owner of New York's chic Le Cirque restaurant.

Also on hand at the pageant was business mogul Donald Trump, who owns the pageant with CBS.

This year's pageant also included the first time that a Black woman represented Miss Venezuela, 18-year-old Carolina Indriago.

Kwelagobe, who has studied electronics, physics, chemistry and mathematics, said that her first name means "bring the rain." She said that she hoped to do just that for her drought-plagued southern African homeland.

`Winning won't just change my life, it will change Botswana," she said.

The pageant crowned its first Black Miss Universe, Janelle Commissiong, who also was Miss Trinidad and Tobago, in 1977.