Miss Illinois crowned Miss America

Jet, Oct 7, 2002

Miss Illinois Erika Harold, who put Harvard University law school on hold so that she could compete in the Miss America Pageant, was recently crowned Miss America 2003.

Harold, 22, an opera singer from Urbana, IL, wowed judges with Habanera, an aria from Carmen, and performed ably on a newly added contemporary culture pop quiz given to the five finalists.

The new Miss America will promote anti-bullying and anti-violence programs throughout the country during her reign.

"When I was in ninth grade in Champaign (IL), I was a victim of pervasive sexual and racial harassment, and it did have a negative impact on my self-esteem," she said in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Harold, who was one of only a few non-White students in her class, recalled that she received death threats and taunting before she transferred to another school.

Her mother is Black and Native American. Her father is Greek, German, Welsh and English.

Harold had reportedly filled out "other" on U.S. Census forms because she didn't identify with any one ethnic group. But she recently said she was only joking.

"If I had to choose, I would identify myself as an African-American because in the culture in which we live, we are often identified by race, and our experience reflects it," she said.

Harold, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Illinois, earned a $50,000 scholarship for winning the Miss America Pageant and thousands more in winning her state crown and Miss America preliminaries.

Entertainer Wayne Brady, host of the new daytime talk/variety show "The Wayne Brady Show," made history as the first Black to host the Miss America Pageant in its 82-year history.

Harold is the sixth Black woman crowned Miss America. Vanessa Williams became the first Black Miss America in 1983, followed by Suzette Charles, Debbye Turner, Marjorie Judith Vincent and Kimberly C. Aiken.

This year's finalists were Miss Alabama Scarlotte Deupree, first runner-up; Miss Oklahoma Casey Preslar, second runner-up; Miss Nevada Teresa Benitez, third runner-up and Miss Maryland Camille Lewis, fourth runner-up.