I can remember the moment in 1983 when Vanessa Williams was crowned as the first black Miss America. She was 20, and I was seven, and I didn't understand what all of the hoopla was about. I just knew she was pretty and had funny colored eyes, and that was enough for me.
I also remember months later seeing on the news that she had been stripped of her title. Years later when I was older, I learned that it was because she had soft porn pics in an adult magazine. Apparently, even though the pics were for a private photographer, who did not have permission to publish them elsewhere, and even though these were done long before her crowning as Miss America, there was the small snippet in her contract that read, that she endeavored not to bring shame or do anything to reflect badly upon the organization.
In other words, no matter how beautiful, capable, or accomplished she was, they didn't want her representing America, so she had to go.
Fast forward 32 years, and on the same stage were she received her crown, Ms. Williams was issued a public apology. In true class and in dignified fashion, Ms. Williams just shrugged it off, as if it was no big deal
In the years following what was supposed to be the biggest, most heartbreaking scandal of her life, she truly made lemons out of lemonade. She raised four wonderful female humans, found love, lost it, found love, lost, and found it again! She built a successful music and acting career.
The very people who did her wrong so many years ago, had to grovel to her, amid her success!
I am reminded of so many pitfalls in my own life where I have lost, been sabotaged, and unfairly treated, that sitting still, moving on, and letting God work, are the best things to do.
We can all take a page from Ms. Vanessa Williams' book. Let's just hope it doesn't take 32 years!
Until next time....
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