25 Years of People

(Article from People magazine, march 15-22, 1999 issue)

Vanessa Williams

African-American Miss America, 1983

No one was more surprised than Williams when, on Sept. 17, 1983, she was crowned Miss America: Only a handful of African-American women had ever competed in the pageant, which began in 1921. Williams "brought beautiful black women into the spotlight, having their beauty recognized by the rest of the country instead of just the rest of their family," says Barbara Summers, author of Skin Deep, a book about African-American models.But before Williams's reign was over, Penthouse (fuck ´em) published private nude pictures taken of her in 1982, and she was forced to give up her crown. "It wasn't like my vocal cords were cut," she says. "It was a setback, not a defeat." Carefully rebuilding her career, the 35-year-old divorced mother of three has become a movie star (Eraser) and racked up 11 Grammy nominations. Thanks to her Miss America win, she says, "My daughters can feel gorgeous without wanting to look like an all-American girl."

The Syracuse University student wins the crown in Atlantic City

"Not giving up-- that´s what saves you," says Williams (backstage in Chicago in 1997)

25 Years of People - A Dateline Special (NBC, March 1, 1999)