Why Vanessa Williams Is Our Forever Beauty Queen

Essence Magazine:

By India Espy-Jones ·Updated March 18, 2026 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…

Not many can claim they’ve made beauty history. But, Vanessa Williams can. In 1984, she became the first Black woman to win Miss America. Then, at just 21 years old, the Queen later resigned due to media controversy. Specifically, photos of her were non-consensually published in Penthouse magazine. While her public fall from grace was devastating at the

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