For future reference, when we say “Black don’t crack,” we’re talking about Vanessa Williams. The Ugly Betty star may have recently turned 60, but she looks like she’s barely aged since she was crowned Miss America in 1984. During a recent appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, the singer/actress discussed her thoughts on the “privilege” of aging.
“It’s a privilege. There’s a sense of ease. The older you get the less you care about what everybody else has to say,” she said. “You’re living in your own glory. You accept yourself, you give yourself grace. And you don’t beat yourself up the way when we’re 20s and 30s. ‘I’ve gotta do this, I’ve gotta be this, I gotta please people.’ So there is a sense of satisfaction and ease the older you get. And I am embracing that and love it.”
We may not all age as flawlessly as Williams, but she’s absolutely right about finding a stronger sense of self acceptance as you get older. Once you know exactly who you are and embrace it, you find yourself enjoying those extra years, not dreading them.
Jennifer explained that turning 41 led her to a place where she was less concerned about the small stuff. She asked Williams when she was able to get that place and the Soul Food actress revealed that women like them just don’t have time to worry about getting older. They have too much work to do.
“You’ve got a whole empire that you’ve got to run, so you’re concerned with a lot at this point. But I understand that,” Williams said. “There are certain times in your life when you’re the franchise. So in order to have longevity in your career, which we always talk about people when we have mentors or mentees—how do you last for, I’ve been in the business for 40 years?”
Vanessa Williams’ has had a long successful career across music, film, TV and stage. She attributes it to “showing up on time,” “knowing your stuff” and “following your skillset.” However, she also has a self confidence that we should all be paying attention to. It’s clear that when she says aging is a “privilege,” she believes it.