Four black women have been N.C. Azalea Festival queens since the festival was first held in 1948.
Phylicia A. Rashad was queen in 1985. She was best known for playing the role of Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom “The Cosby Show.” Rashad became the first African-American actress to win the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, in 2004, for her role in the revival of “A Raisin in the Sun.”
Dari Alexander was queen in 2004. Alexander is a news anchor at television station Fox 5 in New York City. Before joining FOX 5, she was an anchor and New York field correspondent at the FOX News Channel.
Tanisha Lynn was queen in in 2006. She was best known for playing the role of Danielle Frye from March 2004 until January 2007 on the TV show “All My Children.”
Erika Dunlap was queen in 2012. She was the 2004 Miss America and subsequently appeared on CBS’ The Amazing Race.
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Date posted: April 8, 2014
User-contributed question by:
Deidra
I’ve been living in Wilmington all my life and the only black queen I’ve seen was Phylicia A. Rashad. The other two queens that where mention, I don’t remember them being white. Were they mixed with black and if they where then they must have identifed themselves more with the white race and not the black race. We need more black entertainment and another black queen that look more black than white if she is mixed. Some white people think that the only black people that’s cute is mixed or lighter in color and that’s not fair to other black people that’s not. I’m a single balck mother of four and I don’t support the Azalea Festival because there are not enough of entertainment for my race.
What difference does it make? That festival isn’t based on color or race and if it was then there should have been more Spanish women as there are as many or more Spanish people here in the area. Not going to something just because of what color the queen is silly. This is not 1965!
Out of all the years that the Azalea Festival has been in existence…you mean to tell me there has only been three Azalea Festival Queens?? Shame on the N.C. Azalea Festival Committee!