Monrovia — Annie Wineh Broderick, a former Miss Liberia, who at the Miss World pageant in 1983 won the Africa Queen of Beauty, has died in Monrovia, FrontPageAfrica has gathered.
She died at the John F. Kennedy Hospital after a brief illness in Liberia, family sources told FrontPageAfrica.
Attorney Annie Broderick, who doubled as Miss Liberia and Miss Africa, made history when she became the first female journalist to successfully and simultaneously manage the Catholic-owned Radio Veritas and The Herald newspaper.
Annie Wineh Broderick was a Beauty Queen and Pioneer Female Editor with solid grasp of news reporting in contemporary Liberian journalism.
Ms. Broderick was one of the nine beautiful contestants that participated in the 1983 Miss Liberia Beauty Pageant, sponsored by the Liberia National Lotteries and organized by the Jeswellie Club.
The other contestants included: Dinahlee Obey, (Miss. LU), Eva Bindu Youboty, Yolanda Anderson, Melvina Darplu Slopper; Bankie Mathies, Ophelia Acolatse, Veronica Mitchell, and Precious Uso.
Mr. Emmanuel Shaw served as master of ceremony. During that ceremony, he explained to the audience that the final winner would not be representing only herself in London at the Miss Universe contest, but also would be an ambassador for Liberian womenfolk; yea the Republic of Liberia.
According to Dor Nyenswah Chronicle, Mr. Shaw outlined that intelligence, diplomacy, charm, personality, and beauty were the measurable criteria the judges would discretionary utilize to reach the final verdict.
Liberia's international musical sensation, Sekou Sillah as guest artist, together with other local stars and cultural performers, kept the 3000 jammed packed audience spellbound in the Ball Room of the Executive Pavilion which consisted mainly of young ladies; including the Who's Who in Monrovia, dancing and cheering while they feasted their eyes with the splendor display of unsurpassed talents; blended with classic apparels which reflected majestic opulence, with no regrets for the $20, and $50 fees paid per person.
She received a cash prize of 2000 USD, including another 600 USD from Gold Medal Factory including other prized assets.
Miss. Broderick represented Liberia at the Miss. Universe Contest in November, 1983, and brought pride to Liberia where she was crowned as Miss Africa.
During her performance in London, she confidently recited a poem she personally scripted with a title: AFRICA OUR HOME which highlighted the highs and lows about the continent. The poem was published in many British newspapers, and was read on BBC.
Prior to winning the crown in Liberia and London, Miss. Broderick was a newscaster at ELCN, which was renamed Radio Veritas; a media outlet owned and operated by the Catholic Church. She subsequently served as its Station Manager.
In 1985, she was the first, and only student to graduate from the Mass Communications Department of the University of Liberia.
In 2017, she graduated from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law; and is currently a practicing Attorney.
Her death has however come as a shocked to Liberia.
Unfortunately, Broderick's organizations were destroyed during the 14-year civil war in Liberia, which was ignited by Charles Taylor in 1989 and claimed an estimated 250,000 lives by the time it ended in 2003. "It still pains me deeply whenever I think about that irreparable loss," Broderick said in an interview last year.
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She also expressed disappointment at the slow progress of Liberian female media professionals in becoming innovators within the country's media industry. In addition to her media work, Broderick served with the Liberia National Election Commission.
Friends and family members have been paying tribute to Broderick.
"Annie Broderick was a beautiful soul with whom I had the privilege to work at LBS, producing high-quality radio and television programs, including newscasting," said Welma Campbell Mashinini Redd, Miss Liberia 1977.
"Having won the Miss Liberia title in 1977, I encouraged Annie to participate in the contest, and she won. I believe the high regard many hold for her is due to the standard of speech and content relevance we provided our audiences. As a member of the LBS Board, I am committed to helping Liberian broadcasters produce relevant and aesthetically pleasing content, as Annie, I, and many others have done."
