Whatever happened to the Black Miss Americas? After becoming international celebrities, they continue to make an impact in various areas

Ebony, March, 2002

FROM the minute she receives the crown, Miss America is the darling of the nation. She travels the country, shakes the hands of millions of people (ranging from celebrities to admirers) and watches the doors swing open to countless opportunities.

After 365 days, the rush is over, and Miss America's magic crown is passed on to another woman. However, for each of the five Black women who were named Miss America--Vanessa L. Williams, Suzette Charles, Debbye Turner, Marjorie Vincent and Kimberly Aiken--having the prestigious title was just the beginning of a proud and fruitful life experience.

"Life before Miss America was great, and life after Miss America has been fantastic," says Aiken, the 1994 Miss America.

The women have forged careers in media, entertainment and entrepreneurship. And of course, some have joined the ranks of that other vocation--motherhood. On these pages, EBONY takes a look at what each Black former Miss America has done, and is doing, since stepping down as America's queen.

MISS AMERICA 1984 VANESSA L. WILLIAMS

VANESSA L. Williams' success in entertainment is so extensive, it's easy to forget that she initially became a household name by becoming the first Black person to win the Miss America pageant. Williams won the 1984 crown when she was a 20-year-old student at Syracuse University, but abruptly resigned after 10 months when controversial photographs of her were printed in a magazine.

Williams overcame the scandal and went on to become probably the best known of all former Miss Americas, Black or White. Her singing credits include three original albums (The Right Stuff, The Comfort Zone and The Sweetest Days) and nine Grammy nominations. She won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for the single, "Colors of the Wind," off the Pocahontas soundtrack. The 38-year-old star has also received two NAACP Image Awards. As an actress, Williams enjoys critical acclaim for her starring roles in such movies as Soul Food, Eraser and the new version of Shaft. In addition, she has performed in television mini-series such as The Jacksons: An American Dream, and performed on Broadway in Kiss of the Spider Woman.

Williams married her publicist-turned-manager, Ramon Hervey, in 1987. The couple had three children (Melanie, Jillian and Devin), but they divorced in 1997. In 1999, Williams married again, this time to Los Angeles Lakers star Rick Fox, with whom she had a fourth child, Sasha.

MISS AMERICA 1984 SUZETTE CHARLES

SUZETTE Charles, representing New Jersey, assumed the crown shortly after Vanessa L. Williams resigned in 1984. She finished out the term and moved on to a successful singing career. Charles performed with such artists as Stevie Wonder and Lou Rawls, and appeared in soap operas. Now out of the public eye, Charles is married to Dr. Leonard Bley and has a daughter, Hannah, and son, Ilan, according to the Miss America Organization. The family resides in the New York City area.

MISS AMERICA 1990 DEBBYE TURNER

DEBBYE Turner had one goal in mind when she entered the 1990 Miss America sweepstakes--to win the contest to get scholarship money for her veterinary studies. Representing the state of Missouri, Turner completed her goal and became the third Black Miss America in the pageant's history. It was an experience, Turner says, that she will never forget, as she traveled 20,000 miles per month throughout the country and met celebrities ranging from Oprah Winfrey to the president of the United States.

"First of all, I got to do in one year what the average person does not get to do in his entire lifetime, and for that I am extremely grateful and appreciative," says Turner, 36, who's single.

In May 1991, Turner finished her studies as a doctor of veterinary medicine at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She subsequently moved on to a career in the media. She has hosted various shows, such as The Gentle Doctor on the Life Network, which emphasized pet care, and Show Me St. Louis, a feature television program. Turner is now a national correspondent for CBS-TV's The Early Show and also produces a pet-care segment for The Early Show.

Turner, who is also a motivational speaker, has a message for any young Black woman who aspires to become Miss America: "Dream big and work harder than [you've] ever imagined," she says. "We have shown that it's possible for an African-American to become a Miss America."

MISS AMERICA 1991 MARJORIE VINCENT

MARJORIE Vincent hit the ground running after she was named the 1991 Miss America. Vincent, who represented Illinois, used the spotlight as Miss America to spread her message about domestic violence.

"For me, it was a thrill to take [the victims'] message to lawmakers in Washington and to state legislatures," Vincent says. "At one appearance, an older man came up to me and said he was really glad I made the point that men could be victims too, because he was one."

Vincent went back to law school at Duke University after her one-year reign. Just before finishing law school in 1994, she became a television news anchor in Meridian, Miss., and later worked at stations in Peoria, Ill., and Columbus, Ohio, for the next six-plus years. She is now working on freelance projects and has a goal to finish law school this year.