Vanessa Williams received death threats as first black Miss America

Vanessa Williams was the first black woman to be crowned Miss America in 1983, but not all were happy to see diversity.

The 57-year-old beauty queen turned singer and actress shared on The Fat Joe Show, “I won [Miss Syracuse], Miss New York State, and Miss America all within six months, so I went from my junior year [at Syracuse University] to all of a sudden, I was the first Black Miss America in 1983. And I had death threats because we’re talking 37 years ago.”

But a lot of people did not like her representing diversity in the USA, “A lot of people don’t like to be confronted with diversity, and I was the symbol of that, so I had to prove that I was smart enough. I was talented enough.”

However, in her late term, she gave up the crown after Penthouse infamously published nude photos of her that had been taken in 1982.

“After being Miss America, there was an issue with some pictures I had done, which did not have a release and they were sold behind my back. Six weeks before I was finishing my year [as Miss America], I resigned,” Williams who is now a mother of four, including signer Jillian Hervey, said.

After Miss America, she went to work in the entertainment industry as a successful actress, singer, and now a fashion designer.

“I never wanted to be a beauty queen — and, of course, I never wanted to be a scandalized beauty queen. So, I had so much judgment from a very early age against me,” the former Miss America added. “I heard a lot of noes, and all the people thought I would just disappear. And I thought, ‘Once the dust settles, you’ll get to know who I really am.’ And, that’s how I live my life.”