Beauty & Brains: Caressa Cameron Is Miss America
Congratulations are in order for America’s newest sweetheart and the country’s newest Miss America Pageant winner. Miss Virginia, Caressa Cameron, won the prestigious 2010 title of Miss America at the 89th Annual Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas Saturday night. The competition aired live on the cable network, TLC.
The talented 22-year old senior broadcast journalism major of Virginia Commonwealth University blew the competition away with her voice as she sang a rendition of Beyoncé’s “Listen” from the 2006 film, Dreamgirls. Along with the renowned title, Cameron received a $50,000 scholarship, various endorsement deals, and the yearlong opportunity to travel across the nation representing the almost century old organization while raising awareness of her chosen platform, which is combating childhood obesity. Encouraging more play and less television viewing and video game playing, Cameron stated during the interview segment of the competition:
“We need to get our kids back outside, playing with sticks in the street like I did when I was little. Expand your mind, go outside and get to see what this world is like.”
In a gorgeous yellow gown, Cameron beat out 52 other beauty queens as she was crowned by last year’s 2009 Miss America winner, Katie Stam. Miss California Kristy Cavinder was the first runner-up, winning a scholarship of $25,000. Young women from all 50 states, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, were represented at Saturday evening’s event. Several judges of the night included actress Vivica A. Fox and conservative commentator and radio host, Rush Limbaugh. The evening was hosted by actor Mario Lopez of the popular 80’s sitcom Save by the Bell and today’s wildly popular America’s Next Dance Crew.
Cameron is not the first Black woman to be crowned Miss America; she is the eigth to wear the sash and crown within the competition’s history. The first Black woman to be crowned was actress and singer, Vanessa Williams who won the title in 1983. She later was stripped of her title after nude photos of her taken years before receiving the crown were published in Penthouse. The runner-up, Suzette Charles of New Jersey, also a Black woman, assumed Williams’ title. The most recent before Cameron’s win was Ericka Dunlap of Florida who won the title in 2004. Cameron is a native of Fredericksburg, VA and has dreams of one day becoming a news anchor.
Image: Miss America Organization