Celebrating Juneteenth
Empowering our young African-American women
No matter that she didn’t know the significance of Juneteenth, but she recalls “as the pageant came closer, I looked up more information. I became a lot more excited” as she learned that Juneteenth marked freedom for slaves in the United States.
“President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation and sent people from the Union to tell everyone, but the people in Texas did not get the information,” says Maia, who is now fourteen.
In fact, the envoys sent to Texas did not arrive for a full two and one-half years after the order was issued on January 1, 1863. The announcement on June 19, 1865 became reason for celebration with freed men and women placing increasing significance on the date, which is known interchangeably as Juneteenth, Freedom Day, and Emancipation Day.
Texas adopted the date as a state holiday in 1980. Since then, forty-one states, including North Carolina, have recognized its significance either as an official holiday or as a day for observance.
Wilmington’s official celebration began in 1995. MARSHA GRAHAM-ALI is co-chairwoman of the 2013 celebration, along with the celebration’s founder ABDUL SHAREEF.
The five-month celebration includes a gospel music and dance extravaganza, a history quiz bowl, the Miss Juneteenth pageant, and a family reunion.
“We partner with UNCW to have an African-American Quiz Bowl with teams from organizations and churches, something like Jeopardy,” Graham-Ali says.
She says the gospel fest, held in March, showcases “mostly liturgical dances, but it’s open to jazz, hip-hop, dances from the 1950s and 1960s. The goal is to have dances from slavery to the present.”
A highlight of the year is the Juneteenth Family Reunion Festival planned for Robert Strange Park at noon June 15, with events and festivities.
“We’re asking families to come out and celebrate with us. We will honor three legends in Wilmington: Williston alumni, Daniels Tours, and The Wilmington Journal,” Graham-Ali says.
The reunion exemplifies the celebration’s goal of “educating, emancipating, empowering, and energizing our communities through celebrating our history,” Graham-Ali says, adding that vendors and entertainers wishing to participate can contact her at 371-1610.
Pageant director YUSHONDA MIDGETTE-SPRIGGS emphasizes empowerment of young women in construction of the pageant, which will take place at 6 p.m. June 14 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center.
Contestants for the Young Miss title – ages twelve to fifteen – must write a 250-word essay about their vision of the future. Contestants for the Miss Juneteenth pageant – ages sixteen-eighteen – must write a 500-word essay.
“The pageant emphasizes education, economics, and family unity,” Midgette-Spriggs says. “The pageant is important because it brings forth an awareness of a very historical event that has taken place for more than 100 years. We’re trying to bring forth awareness so that African-American culture and other cultures know that it exists.”
The pageant’s primary purpose is to develop young women’s morals and standards and to build a foundation for education and family values, Midgette-Spriggs says. The young women should inspire others as role models, she adds.
Two years after earning the title, Maia reflects on her experience.
“It has helped me in a lot of ways. I learned more about my history, how my ancestors became free, and I gained a lot of new friends in the process,” she says.
She says she gained confidence as a public speaker and as a voice for history among her friends.
“When my friends found out about it, they would ask me, and I would tell my friends” about the history of Juneteenth. “I like the idea of having a holiday to celebrate African-American freedom,” she says.
Maia attended last year’s pageant as a guest queen and hopes to return this year. As for the other events, she’s looking forward to her family’s participation in the celebration that she now fully appreciates.
