In Retrospect with Susie Banikarim and Jessica BennettIn Retrospect with Susie Banikarim and Jessica Bennett

Vanessa Williams v Miss America: ‘I Won’t Let That Man Destroy Me’ (Pt 2)

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She made history as the first Black Miss America, then dramatically lost her crown in a scandal that would see her branded as "the pageant's own Hester Prynn.” But Vanessa Williams did not just go away quietly, she fought back — going head to head with Penthouse, the magazine that published her photos, and the man who tricked her into taking them. In this episode, Jess and Susie chart the aftermath of that sordid episode, as well as Vanessa’s staggering comeback. Plus, Jess talks about the time she went to Miss America just a few years ago, reporting from inside the pageant, where a pageant “civil war” was brewing.

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  1. In Retrospect with Susie Banikarim and Jessica Bennett

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In Retrospect with Susie Banikarim and Jessica Bennett

Is there a cultural moment from your past that looks different in retrospect? Maybe it’s a scandalou 
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