On This Day: Vanessa Williams, First Black Miss America, Was Born

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Former heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali gets a pat on the face from Vanessa Williams, from Millwood, N.Y., Miss New York in Atlantic City on Sunday, Sept. 11, 1983. Miss Williams is here for the Miss America Pageant and Ali was here for the Larry Holmes fight. (AP Photo/BB)
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(AURN News) — On this day, March 18, 1963, Vanessa Williams, a trailblazing entertainer, was born. Williams was born in Millwood, New York, destined to reshape the landscape of American entertainment.

In 1983, she etched her name into the history books by becoming the first Black woman to be crowned Miss America.

Suzette Charles, Miss New Jersey, the first runner up, applauds the newly crowned Miss America, Vanessa Williams, Sept. 17, 1983 in Atlantic City. It is the first time there have been two blacks in that position. (AP Photo)

While her reign faced unprecedented challenges, her resilience proved to be her greatest talent.

Williams transformed a historic milestone into an epic, multi-decade career spanning music, film and Broadway. From her chart-topping hit “Save the Best for Last” to her rendition of the Academy Award-winning song “Colors of the Wind,” she became a global superstar.

Her brilliance shone on screen as the unforgettable Wilhelmina Slater in “Ugly Betty” and on stage in Tony-nominated roles.

Happy birthday, Vanessa Williams.


Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Clay Cane. Follow @claycane & @aurnonline for more.

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