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American Sign Language performer Justina Miles won hearts online after her appearance at the Super Bowl 2023 halftime show.
On February 12, Miles joined Rihanna while she performed at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show and translated the latter's songs into American sign language.
She joined the Barbadian singer on behalf of the National Association of the Deaf. Along with Miles, CODA actor Troy Kotsur and deaf Navajo scholar Colin Denny were also seen in preshow appearances, setting a new standard for inclusivity in the game.
Justina Miles, who appeared in a black dress, also translated Sheryl Lee Ralph's song Lift Every Voice and Sing.
Justina Miles rose to fame via TikTok with her viral #crushonyouchallenge
20-year-old Justina Miles is a native of Philadelphia. She is a nursing student at Bowie State University, Maryland, which is a Historically Black College/University.
Miles has had hearing problems since she was a child. Her mother is also deaf and most of her family has people with mixed hearing abilities. Justina rose to fame as a TikToker when her #crushonyouchallenge went viral across the platform in 2020. The viral video shows Miles paying tribute to rapper Lil' Kim's 1997 song Crush on You.
In 2021, Justina Miles took part in the Deaflympics in Brazil, representing the USA. The team also bagged a silver medal in the 4X100 women’s track relay event. At the same event, Miles also participated in 100 m and 200 m races.
Before her Deaflympics competition, as per KXAN, she said:
"Really, my big goal, my big focus is, of course, to get a medal. I mean, I'm really excited for the relays, because I'm a big team player. I've never been an individual player. There are individual sports for people who are so fast, but the relay, that's the part that I'm with, is such a team."
As per the National Association of the Deaf, she was a valedictorian at Washington D.C.'s Model Secondary School for the Deaf.
Miles was the first female deaf performer at the Super Bowl halftime show and spoke about her experience during a press conference.
As per CNBC, she said:
“I value the opportunity to make it possible for all deaf people to enjoy these songs, and not have them miss out on the full Super Bowl experience.”
She was also the first deaf person to perform Lift Every Voice and Sing in ASL and expressed what an 'honor' it was. She praised the song for being empowering, inspiring, and symbolic of resilience.
As per CNBC, she said:
"It’s an important moment not only for me to share this experience with the whole world, but to really bring that empowerment to millions and millions of Black deaf people all over the country who’ve never really seen that before. I feel that is truly lifting every voice, even my voice.”
Twitter reactions to Justina Miles' "amazing" performance during Super Bowl 2023
After Justina Miles' performance at the Super Bowl went viral, Twitterati was left in awe of the 20-year-old. Several users hailed the girl, calling her "incredible," and compared her performance to Rihanna's.
Rihanna's halftime performance at the Super Bowl 2023 was also the talk of the town as her representatives confirmed that she is expecting her second child with ASAP Rocky. The news was confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter and her fans sent their best wishes to the artist.
