however, a scandal erupted when it was revealed that
she had posed for nude photos a few years before en-
tering the contest.
As a result of the highly publicized scandal, Wil-
liams received death threats and hateful letters from
disgruntled devotees of the pageant. She tried to re-
deem her reputation, insisting that the photos were
artistic rather than pornographic, but finally re-
signed the crown amid growing controversy and op-
position to her reign as Miss America. Williams’s
nude photos were published in an issue ofPenthouse
magazine that grossed fourteen million dollars.
After Williams resigned the Miss America crown,
her runner-up, Suzette Charles, became the new
Miss America. Though Charles was also African
American, there were still claims that the forced res-
ignation of Williams was due to racism. Williams
went on to establish a singing career, performing
backup vocals for George Clinton on a 1986 record
album. Her first solo album,The Right Stuff, was re-
leased in 1988.A ballad from the album eventually
reached number one on theBillboardHot Black Sin-
gles chart. The album subsequently was very success-
ful and was certified gold, spawning a successful
singing career for Williams. Williams was also inter-
ested in being an actor. Her first film wasUnder the
Gun(1986). She developed very successful singing
and acting careers, garnering public praise, as well
as financial freedom.
Impact Williams was the first woman to overcome
the race barrier that seemed to prevent African
American women from winning the Miss America
pageant. Although she was devastated by her forced
resignation of the crown, she went on to achieve
great success as a singer and actress, becoming a role
model for young African American girls in the pro-
cess.
Further Reading
Boulais, Sue.Vanessa Williams: Real Life Reader Biogra-
phy. Childs, Md.: Mitchell Lane, 1998.
Freedman, Suzanne.Vanessa Williams. New York:
Chelsea House, 1999.
Twyla R. WellsSee also African Americans; Feminism; Film in the
United States; Music; Pop music; Pornography; Ra-
cial discrimination; Scandals.Wilson, August
Identification African American playwright
Born April 27, 1945; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Died October 2, 2005; Seattle, Washington
Wilson gained prominence as an American playwright in
the 1980’s. It was during this decade that Wilson’s vision
of writing a cycle of ten plays, each set in a specific decade of
the twentieth centur y, began to take shape.
Born Frederick August Kittel and having grown up
in the predominantly African American Hill District
of Pittsburgh, August Wilson often returned in his
imagination to his native soil, mining its richness for
artistic purposes. His plays explore themes ranging
from African American identity and the impact of
history on his many memorable characters to the
challenges confronting family, especially fathers and
sons.
Of the five plays Wilson wrote and produced dur-
ing the 1980’s, four received multiple awards.Ma1048 Wilson, August The Eighties in America
Vanessa Williams announces her resignation as Miss Amer-
ica at a press conference on July 23, 1984.(AP/Wide World
Photos)