A public history platform · New blogs every week

← All posts

Vanessa Williams, 1st Black Miss America

Vanessa Williams, 1st Black Miss America
Vanessa Williams, 1st Black Miss America

Jul 23, 1984: Vanessa Williams resigned as Miss America, becoming the 1st titleholder in the pageant's history to do so. She stepped down at the request of pageant officials after Penthouse magazine announced plans to publish unauthorized nude photographs of her.

#VanessaWilliams #MissAmericaPagaent #BlackBeauty

Share:

Stay Current

Join our mailing list

One dispatch a week: a new essay, a podcast episode, and something from the archive worth a second look.