July 23rd 1984: Miss America Resigns...
THE ISSUE AT HAND...
In the months after Vanessa William's crowning, as Miss America, pictures were sold to Penthouse Magazine that featured Ms. Williams in a nude lesbian encounter with an unidentified Caucasian woman. Immediately this set the tone to enrage the rarely spoken of Racial & Sexual Taboos of the day. Whether or not the release was mistakenly agreed to (fine print), or if the release was completely illegal, has never been determined; but America was definitely NOT ready for this type of issue. Ms. Williams resigned at the request of pageant officials; and after a brief disappearance from the public eye, Vanessa would rise triumphantly with a career in music-and later in television & film. Many others would have broken under pressure; so we at The WANDERING EYES BLOG salute you Ms. Williams.
- 1984 Vanessa Williams (NY)
- 1990 Debbye Turner (MO)
- 1991 Marjorie Vincent (IL)
- 1994 Kimberly Aiken (SC)
- 2003 Erika Harold (IL)
- 2004 Ericka Dunlap (FL)
- 2010 Caressa Cameron (VA)