Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Justus Kelley Was Just Crowned Miss USA

Justus Kelley, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, was crowned Miss USA 2026 Thursday night in Miami.

Representing Virginia, Kelley made history as the first married woman and first mother to win the Miss USA title.

Kelley was initiated into the Tau Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated at Indiana University. She later served as president of the chapter from 2016 to 2017, according to Kelley’s Linkedin.

Kelley also got her start in pageantry through the Divine Nine.

In an interview on Empowerment with Elizabeth, Kelley shared that the first pageant she competed in was an Alpha Phi Alpha Miss Black & Gold pageant nearly a decade ago.

Outside of pageantry, Kelley works at ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as a philanthropic advisor and also founded Foster Footprints, an initiative focused on supporting children and families impacted by the foster care system.

Kelley and her husband are also licensed foster parents.

Ahead of Miss USA, Kelley traveled to Miami with some of her belongings packed in trash bags to bring attention to the way many children in foster care are forced to carry their belongings when moving between homes.

Her win comes after Miss USA changed its eligibility requirements to allow married women and mothers to compete.

Nearly a decade after competing in her first pageant through Alpha Phi Alpha’s Miss Black & Gold competition, Kelley is now Miss USA 2026.

This article was written for Watch The Yard by Nicklaus Utsey, a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington and a Fall 2022 initiate of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., by way of the Zeta Chi Chapter at UT Arlington.