Rachel Renee Smith, 21, becomes the fourth African American Miss USA, crowned last night. She's also the second title holder from Tennessee. She was crowned by Tara Conner who was her fellow constestant on Miss Teen USA 2002. She is the third consecutive former Miss Teen USA delegate to win the title.

She will compete in the Miss Universe 2007 competition in May 2007 in Mexico City.

Rachel Smith, a military brat, was born in Panama and grew up in Clarksville, TN. Smith graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. While she was at Belmont she interned in Chicago, Illinois, for eight months with Harpo Productions, a company owned by Oprah Winfrey. In January 2007 it was announced that she had been chosen by Winfrey to volunteer for one month at her Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.