By Stacy Brown NNPA Senior National Correspondent Bill Cosby said his widely criticized admonition that young Black men should “pull their pants up” was less about fashion...

The systemic bias that has historically failed Black people in the USA is no less evident in Canada. That reality is laid bare in the...

Claude Cummings has been unanimously nominated by the NNPA Executive Committee to receive the NNPA 2025 National Leadership Award for outstanding leadership and achievement...

People in the News

Saturday, September 13, 2025

People in the News

Saturday, September 13, 2025

Black history spotlight for Sept. 17, 2012: Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams was born in Tarrytown, New York on March 18, 1963. Her parents are of African-American descent, and Williams grew up in a predominantly white middle-class suburban area in Millwood. Williams is a multi-talented contemporary African-American performer specializing in song, acting, and modeling.

On Sept. 17, 1983, Williams was the first African American to be crowned Miss America. She began her career as an entertainer and has been successful since. She has been nominated for a number of Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Awards. Williams is also a part of  a new ABC show that starts soon. Click here to view.