Miss America, an Alternative to the "Video Whore"

By Simone Johnson
Black College Wire

The Miss America judges have once again accepted the maxim, "Once you go black, you can't go back!"

Photo credit: MissAmerica.org Ericka is crowned by Miss America 2003 Erika Harold.

The judges crowned a seventh black woman, the strikingly beautiful Ericka Dunlap, as Miss America. Miss America 2003, Erika Harold, another dynamic black woman, crowned Dunlap and continued the Nubian reign. It was the second time that black women attained the crown for two consecutive years. In 1991, Marjorie Vincent was crowned by Debbye Turner, Miss America 1990.

The “back-to-back black” conquest probably has Lenora Slaughter, who was hired as director of the pageant in 1935 and held the post for 32 years, rolling in her grave again.

Sometime in the 1930s, the pageant instituted the rule that "contestants must be . . . of the white race."

It wasn’t until 1970 that the contest had its first black contestant, Cheryl Browne, who won the Miss Iowa title. Vanessa became the first black Miss America in 1984.

Her runner-up, Suzette Charles, another black woman, became Miss America when Williams resigned after nude photographs of her were published in Penthouse magazine.

The "Erika-to-Ericka" conquest of the Miss America title comes after a nine-year absence of beautiful sisters wearing the crown. The previous one, Kimberly Aiken was crowned in 1994.

A lot has changed regarding the media's portrayal of black women since 1994. That year saw the dawn of “black female degradation,” ironically, on Black Entertainment Television. OK, so maybe a lot hasn't changed.

This is 2003, and BET inundates its viewers with images of black women shaking their tail-feathers in music videos.

Sadly, many young girls emulate the “video whore,” when they need to emulate Miss America 2004.

Dunlap has received many scholarships and community service awards. The 21-year-old chocolate beauty is also a dean's-list scholar at the University of Central Florida. She plans to attend law school after graduation.

Chocolate-complexioned girls need not fret if they don't see their counterparts among the fair- skinned vixens who seem to dominate the hip-hop videos. All they need to do is look at Ericka Dunlap, America's beautiful brown princess.

Simone Johnson is a student at Morgan State University in Baltimore who writes for The Spokesman.

Posted Oct. 6, 2003