(AURN News) — According to the BBC, South African actress and former beauty queen Cynthia Shange has died at the age of 76. She passed away in hospital after an illness.
Shange rose to fame in the 1970s and became one of the first Black beauty queens to represent South Africa at the Miss World competition during apartheid — a time when racist laws blocked Black women from mainstream contests.
She competed in London in 1972 and placed fifth.
Beyond pageants, she built a long career in film and television, appearing in early Black South African productions and in historical dramas.
She was later honored with lifetime achievement awards for her work in the arts.
Shange is remembered as a pioneer who broke barriers and helped expand representation on the global stage. Rest in power, Cynthia Shange.
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