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Vanessa Williams recalls 'hurtful' backlash from the Black community after her historic Miss America win

Vanessa is trying to rewrite history with this. Even back in 2015 when the Miss America Pageant apologized to her, while she was doing TONS of interviews, she never once said a thing about colorism issues/backlash from Black people. But she always pointed out the racism/death threats from whites.

Zero respect for this shit she's doing, now.




Right after her win in '83



Source: https://www.nytimes.com/1983/09/19/...iss-america-victory-is-a-means-to-an-end.html


This article is from 2020...no mention of colorism


Another 2020 article...no colorism


I can go on. Bottom line, it's ALWAYS been the nude photo scandal that was the issue
What she said.
 
Vanessa is trying to rewrite history with this. Even back in 2015 when the Miss America Pageant apologized to her, while she was doing TONS of interviews, she never once said a thing about colorism issues/backlash from Black people. But she always pointed out the racism/death threats from whites.

Zero respect for this shit she's doing, now.




Right after her win in '83



Source: https://www.nytimes.com/1983/09/19/...iss-america-victory-is-a-means-to-an-end.html


This article is from 2020...no mention of colorism


Another 2020 article...no colorism


I can go on. Bottom line, it's ALWAYS been the nude photo scandal that was the issue

The receipts. Respect.
 
Yes. But my issue with the 'crabs in a bucket' mentality is a completely different issue. I'd rather keep to the topic of Vanessa and her claims. She was quoted saying she felt people denigrated her for not being black enough. Or that she only won due to her skin tone. If she feels that way, then those are her sentiments. However through my experiences and observations in America, I don't find anything in those claims to be false or misleading. She would not have won if she were darker and I don't believe it to be wrong for people to state such. I also wouldn't put this in the category of crabs in a bucket. It certainly doesn't help her appeal that she then went on to resign in disgrace.

She was the first black american to win. Yet the fact remains it's a subjective contest with subjective judges that is overwhelmingly determined by appearance. It isn't her fault that her skin is lighter, it isn't her fault that all the history before her that marked darker skin as lesser than. The disingenuous claim that her skin color had nothing to do with her victory in a subjective contest in America about beauty, is her fault. It's so ludicrous that she even goes on to attempt to qualify it with remarks of her other qualities “They kind of dismissed my talent, my intellect, and my achievement." If those qualities weren't enough to keep her In the house when pressure came to strip her of the title, how could they possibly be impactful enough to get her foot in the door. When it appeared that she was a pornstar, they didn't care she was intelligent, they cared that she was sullying the wholesome, pretty brand. When they picked her they didn't care for her intelligence they cared that she looked desirable. They cared that even though she was black she was still light enough to be desirable. She didn't win in spite of being black, she didn't win solely because she was black, but being the right amount of black did effect her position in the contest.

There is a prejudice that lighterskinned black people benefit from, but that doesn't validate or invalidate their feelings, struggles, or triumphs

Also odd that she feels valid in her ire over the lightskin prejudice being brought up at all. But won't add context that maybe some people feel ire over how the first and at the time only black woman was forced to resign. She had a chance to be an icon and she fucked it up.

Your crabs in a bucket comment is interesting though. Per usual.

I understand your viewpoint. It's interesting as well.
 
Just because a person don’t mention it don’t mean it didn’t happen.

WTF

I think the point was that she's talked several times about backlash and hardships she faced after she won. One would think that if being stacked by other blacks was the most hurtful thing, she would have mentioned that at some point during those other discussions

That seems like a reasonable assertion, but then again people are weird, so I don't know.
 
I think the point was that she's talked several times about backlash and hardships she faced after she won. One would think that if being stacked by other blacks was the most hurtful thing, she would have mentioned that at some point during those other discussions

That seems like a reasonable assertion, but then again people are weird, so I don't know.

Or
Or
Or

She didn’t want to say it at that time
 
Or
Or
Or

She didn’t want to say it at that time

That's possible. No one knows but her, I guess, but everyone is free speculate as they see fit.

It ain't that important one way or the other, but my personal opinion is that if you can't say something when its relevant, don't bring it up after the fact.
 
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