Vanessa Williams

Personal context

Summary

Vanessa Williams is an actor and singer whose screen and stage work includes Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, Soul Food, and Into the Woods. Her best-known roles often feature ambitious, self-assured women. She co-founded Black Theatre United, which advocates for change in theatre and greater opportunities for Black talent, and has publicly supported marriage equality and same-sex adoption, including through Human Rights Campaign campaigns. The first black woman crowned Miss America, she has also spoken about the racial criticism she faced after winning.