There She Is…The New Miss America

Caressa Cameron from Virginia says she wants to get a journalism degree and be a news anchor. She’s the first black Miss America since Ericka Dunlap in 2004.

Cameron won the title and a $50,000 scholarship Saturday night after strutting in a skintight yellow dress, belting Beyonce’s “Listen” from “Dreamgirls” and advising parents to limit video games and television when asked about childhood obesity during an onstage interview.

Cameron received her crown from last year’s winner, Katie Stam of Indiana. Interestingly, given the controversy surrounding the Miss USA Pageant, the new Miss America is against gay marriage personally but doesn’t think it should be illegal.

Cameron won her state’s title on her fourth try, and said she saw pageantry as a way to raise money and awareness for her platform issue, AIDS awareness.

She said the issue is personal for her because her uncle died of AIDS and her family fostered a young girl who lived with the disdease.

She was recognized by Congress in 2007 for her work to bring instant-result HIV testing to her home state.

During the Miss Virginia pageant last year, Cameron was asked her opinion about gay marriage, the same issue Miss California Carrie Prejean was asked about during the Miss USA pageant two months earlier.

Cameron said she believed marriage should be between a man and woman because of her religious beliefs, but she didn’t think there should be laws against gay marriage.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.