MILWAUKEE — TMJ4 will be partnering with the Northcott Neighborhood House 51th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade to provide live coverage of the parade.
The annual parade is scheduled from 9-11 a.m. on June 19, 2022.
Juneteenth is right around the corner. And the chance to take part in one of the biggest celebrations in Milwaukee is now.
Take it from Kennaye Lewis. She decided to sign her Issa Stampede Dance Team up for the Juneteenth parade for the first time last year. And it's an experience she says she and her girls will never forget.
"The crowd was hyping them up so of course they were feeding off of the energy. It was amazing," said Lewis. "I would definitely encourage any and everybody to get involved in Juneteenth."
But this year there's a new competitive twist. Cash prizes for the first, second, and third place floats, marching bands, and dance and drill groups in the parade.
"It's just important to show that it still exists in the city," said Marilynn Douglas, the director of the Nefertari African Dance Company.
Douglas and the Nefertari African Dance Company have participated in the parade for the past two decades. She says it's an opportunity for her members to celebrate and teach others about African dance, and its heritage.
"There might be a slave dance, there might be a celebration dance," said Douglas.
The same goes for Lewis whose team focuses on HBCU-style majorette dancing.
"We are bucking, you might see us prancing, you're going to see us marching. It's more so to showcase the black culture. It's a culture thing," said Lewis.
And now you could be next to join in on Milwaukee's 51'st Juneteenth Day Parade this year. But you've got until next Friday, May 13th to fill out this application.
"The encouragement, the crowd around you is going to be super amazing and it's going to be super encouraging," said Lewis.
If you wish to participate in the parade competitions, organizers have provided the following materials to sign up. The deadline to register is Friday, May 13. When your application has been reviewed and approved, you will receive an email confirmation. Within one week of that email, you will get another email detailing training and other information.
- Float Competition: First Place $2,000
Second Place $1,500 Third Place $1,000
- Marching Band Competition: First Place $1,000
Second Place $750 Third Place $500
- Dance/Drill Competition: First Place $1,000
Second Place $750 Third Place $500
New this year will be the 50/50 raffle. Half of the raffle money goes to the winner and the other half goes to Juneteenth for the following year.
The Cultural Arts Mural Contest will allow you to forward a sketch and application by May 31, 2022 for their entry of the mural contest to Northcott Neighborhood House.
Juneteenth Day celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce the Civil War had ended, as well as the enslavement of black people.
CLICK HERE to watch TMJ4's live coverage of the Juneteenth Parade in 2021.
Print and fill out the forms below to apply to participate in the 2022 Juneteenth parade.
Return completed forms on or before Monday, June 7, 2021 to the following address: 2460 N 6th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53212.
