MILWAUKEE — Excitement is already building for Milwaukee's 52nd Juneteenth celebration.
Marcella Adkins is one of many looking forward to the event, and you should have no problem finding her in the crowd. Here's a tip — just look for some sparkle.
Friends, family, and everyone she knows calls Marcella Adkins by a different name.
"Miss Dazzle," she revealed with a smile. "And it's on my license plates."
For 15 years she's led Adkins Counseling Services, helping folks learn how to shine on the inside.
"One of the big modalities that we use here at Adkins is to raise self-esteem," she explained.
Marcella believes that your closet can help.
"When a person puts on dazzle and they feel good and look good. They do good, then they do better," she said.
She taught herself how to add rhinestones to t-shirts, shoes, and all kinds of items when the world needed a little shimmer during the height of the pandemic. For the last three years, she's marketed her gleaming goods at pop-up shops under the name "All That Dazzles" and this is the first year she'll be a vendor at Juneteenth.
"I remember the first Juneteenth I went to — it was from North Avenue all the way to Burleigh and it was packed," she remembered.
This June, she's proud and excited to see Milwaukee shine.
"To see the people in business and all the businesses available in the city. And we can exchange services with each other! And then as African Americans to be proud to be business owners."
If you can't wait to find Marcella's vendor table on Juneteenth — click here to visit her website.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
