Little Known Black History Fact – Black America 250 September 17, 1983, 20-Year-Old Vanessa Williams Becomes the First Black Woman to Win the Miss America Crown in the Pageant’s 63-year History.

For the competition’s first 30 years, Black women weren’t even allowed to become contestants. Less than a year later, on July 23, 1984, Williams gave up her crown after nude photos of her surfaced. The photos were reportedly shot when she worked for a photographer before her pageant days. She was forced to resign her Miss America title in July 1984. The photos later appeared (without Williams’ consent) in Penthouse magazine. Despite the scandal, Williams later launched a successful singing and acting career on stage and screen-that thrives today.

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