Vanessa Williams Recalls 'Terrifying' Racism, Getting Death Threats After Being Crowned 1st Black Miss America (Exclusive)
The actress, singer and former beauty queen reflects back on the highs and scary lows of her pageant-winning year in this week's cover story
Forty years ago, Vanessa Williams stepped onto the world stage as the first Black woman to be crowned Miss America at the 1984 competition. But accomplishing that feat was never in her plans.
Prior to that, she was a strong-willed, standout student of the arts attending Syracuse University. In this week's cover story, she tells PEOPLE that the "only reason" she agreed to be in the Greater Syracuse pageant, which started off her journey, was “because I was supposed to be in a production of Cyrano de Bergerac that got canceled."
That and the lure of scholarship money led her to compete, win and keep on winning all the way to the big Miss America show in Atlantic City, N.J. that same year. “That particular year there were more women of color than ever before,” she recalls. “I think there were five of us, but nobody knew that history would change.”
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Vanessa WilliamsThe moment after the sparkling crown was placed on her head, “I turned around and saw all of my family,” the actress and singer, 61, says. “That was amazing. But the question was like, ‘What’s next?’ I think I was a bit naive.”
What came next was overnight stardom, audiences with then President Ronald Reagan and Hollywood’s elite, even a cameo on The Love Boat. “It was a tremendous year,” she says, "as terrifying as it was, it was incredible."
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But as she was celebrated by many for being a role model and making history, she also had to smile and wave in the face of racist vitriol being spewed behind the scenes, which came as a shock.
Jack Kanthal/AP
Chris, Helen, Vanessa and Milton Williams"I was born in '63, Kennedy was assassinated that year. A few years later, MLK was assassinated. The Voting Rights Act, all those things being put in place for a better life for my parents to have a child live safely in the world," she says of mom Helen and dad Milton.
“[They] lived through the Civil Rights era, so I thought ‘Okay, everything is fine.’ Then 20 years later, where I think I'm living in a safe, equal world and people want to kill me for being Black. Reality hit me rather quickly.” she explains.
Her win brought death threats and racism from people who felt like, “‘You’re Black, so you’re not representing America,’ ” she recalls. “That was startling and terrifying. Thank God I had my parents supporting me."
That's also who she turned to months later when her reign came crashing down following a nude photo scandal that tarnished her pristine image. “Luckily I have a tremendous family, and in times of crisis, that’s who you need to depend on," she says. "You can do anything when you’ve got a team around you.”
After dusting herself off, she followed her dreams to the stage, screen and in the music studio. These days the mother of four is preparing to take on the role of the Devil Wears Prada's Miranda Priestly opening on London's West End in October, while also gearing up to release Survivor, her first album in 15 years.
No matter what life and naysayers have thrown at her, "I'm still here, and I'm still standing. I'm still feeling strong."
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