After George Floyd’s death in 2020, the new Miss Texas felt as if she was pulled into two different directions.
“I’m biracial, and my dad’s a Black police officer,” Ellie Breaux, the Miss Tarrant County turned new Miss Texas, told the Fort Worth Report.
For the next year as Miss Texas, Breaux plans to bring together communities of color and police and build up their relationships through her platform, “Cops in the Community.” Breaux was crowned July 1.
Her social initiative — a requirement for any Miss Texas — is deeply personal for Breaux, 22. Not only is she a daughter of a police officer, she has many family members who work in law enforcement.
“We have been divided for too long. My true passion is to bridge the community with police officers,” she said. “We need to have conversations that heal and not deteriorate the relations that have already been built.”
Breaux, a former Miss Keller, has worked closely with Keller Police Chief Brad Fortune for her initiative.
“She has a big heart for this type of service. She has the ability to open up these doors that may not be open for us police officers,” Fortune said.
The two hosted community events for Keller residents to have informal conversations with officers. When Breaux went on to become Miss Tarrant County, the two continued to collaborate and visit schools.
The two have busy schedules, but Fortune said they still connect to talk about her future initiatives.
Breaux, originally from Houston, got her start in pageantry after her dance coach at the University of North Texas encouraged her team to participate in a pageant in Keller. A week before her 19th birthday in 2020, she was crowned Miss Keller.
She held the Miss Keller title for an additional year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When Miss Texas 2021 came around, she was second runner-up and won over $9,000 in scholarships.
She paid off two semesters of college with that scholarship money. That’s when Breaux realized she could keep competing for more scholarships while doing what she loves: rhythmic gymnastics and dancing.
In May, Breaux graduated from UNT with a bachelor’s degree in marketing.
Breaux has already made an impact in her communities. She uses her crown as a way to be a role model for young girls.
She attended a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade this year when a parent walked up to her and said her daughter did not want to wear her natural hair.
“Don’t ever be influenced to wear your hair a certain way. Wear your hair natural and embody that,” Breaux told the young girl.
Now, Breaux will go on to represent Texas in the Miss America. The competition date will be released later this month.
“The goal is to bring the crown to Texas,” she said.
Marcela Sanchez is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marcela.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or via Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.