Jennifer Hosten facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jennifer Josephine Hosten
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Hosten in 1970
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| Born | 31 October 1947 |
| Alma mater | Carleton University |
| Title | Miss Grenada World 1970 Miss World 1970 |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Brown |
| Major competition(s) |
Miss Grenada World 1970 (Winner) Miss World 1970 (Winner) |
Jennifer Hosten (born 31 October 1947) is a famous person from Grenada. She has been a radio announcer, a diplomat, an author, and a model. In 1970, she won the Miss World 1970 contest, representing her country. This was a very important moment because she became the first black woman and the first person from Grenada to win this title.
Jennifer Hosten was born in St. George's, Grenada. When she won the Miss World contest in November 1970, she was 23 years old. Before becoming Miss World, she studied in London. She also worked for the BBC's radio service for the Caribbean islands. Later, she became a flight attendant.
Contents
The 1970 Miss World Contest
The 1970 Miss World contest took place in London, United Kingdom. This event was quite controversial from the start. The organizers allowed two contestants from South Africa, one black and one white. This decision caused some debate.
Protests and Controversy
During the contest evening, there were protests by women's rights activists. They threw flour to show their disagreement with the beauty pageant. The famous comedian, Bob Hope, who was hosting the show, was also interrupted by the protesters.
Even more controversy happened after the winner was announced. Jennifer Hosten won, which was a historic moment as she was the first black woman to win Miss World. The black contestant from South Africa came in second place.
Judging Panel Concerns
Many people, including the BBC and newspapers, complained about the results. Some even said the contest was unfair. Four of the nine judges had voted for Miss Sweden to win first place. Jennifer Hosten only received two first-place votes. However, she had the most points overall. Miss Sweden, who many thought would win, ended up in fourth place.
Another reason for the controversy was that the Prime Minister of Grenada, Eric Gairy, was one of the judges. Even though judges from other countries were also on the panel, many people accused the contest of being "rigged," meaning the results were unfairly decided. Some audience members gathered outside the Royal Albert Hall after the contest and chanted "Swe-den, Swe-den."
Addressing the Accusations
Because of all the pressure from newspapers, the organizing director, Julia Morley, resigned a few days later. Years later, Miss Sweden, Marjorie Christel Johansson, said she felt she had been cheated out of the title.
To prove that the contest was fair, Julia Morley's husband, Eric Morley, who was in charge of the company that owned Miss World, showed the judges' scorecards. He explained the complicated "majority vote system" they used. These cards showed that Jennifer Hosten had more high rankings (2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th places) than Miss Sweden and the other finalists. After this explanation, Julia Morley returned to her job.
Life After Miss World
After winning Miss World, Jennifer Hosten joined Bob Hope on his yearly tour to entertain U.S. forces overseas. She also made many other public appearances around the world. In 1971, Grenada even issued a 15-cent postage stamp to celebrate her victory.
Jennifer Hosten later worked in customer relations for Air Canada. She married David Craig, who worked in IT. They lived in Bermuda for a few years before moving to Ontario, Canada, in 1973.
Education and Career
Jennifer Hosten continued her education, earning a Master's degree in Political Science and International Relations from Carleton University in Ottawa. She has two children, a daughter named Sophia and a son named Beau.
From 1978 to 1981, Jennifer Hosten Craig served as the High Commissioner for Grenada in Canada. This means she was Grenada's top diplomat in Canada. In 1998, she worked as an adviser on trade for the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) while living on the island of Saint Lucia. More recently, she worked as a Canadian diplomat in Bangladesh before returning to the Caribbean.
In 1992, she published an academic study about trade agreements. In August 2005, she opened a business called Jenny's Place, which offers beachfront studio apartments in Grenada.
Later Activities
In late 2006, Jennifer Hosten was chosen to be the National Director for the Miss Grenada World Contest. This event took place on 31 March 2007. It selected only the third Grenadian woman in history to compete in the Miss World finals.
Her autobiography, a book about her own life, called Beyond Miss World, was published in 2008. In 2011, Hosten earned another master's degree, this time in Counselling (Psychology). Today, she works as a registered psychotherapist in Oakville, Ontario, helping people with their mental well-being. She has five grandchildren.
Legacy
Jennifer Hosten's story was featured in the 2020 British-French comedy-drama film Misbehaviour. In the movie, she is played by actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw. The film is about the 1970 Miss World competition and the events surrounding it.
External links
- Caribbean Hall of Fame
- Further information part 1
- Further information part 2
- Jenny's Place
- Misbehaviour (2020)
| Awards and achievements | ||
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Preceded by Eva Rueber-Staier |
Miss World 1970 |
Succeeded by Lúcia Petterle |
The first black Miss World was actually Ms. Carole Joan Crawford, who won the crown in 1963. She was of Afro-European heritage.
