Stepping onstage to be crowned Miss America Vanessa Williams couldn’t believe she was actually there. Although confident in her talent and intelligence, this was 1983 and there had never been a black Miss America before. She had made history. But it wasn’t long before Vanessa experienced firsthand that not everyone was happy about the positive progression. The actress, now best known for her roles in Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives, says: “It was the quickest lesson to realise that yes,