MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee teens Matthew Goss and Zoe Chambers were crowned Mister and Miss Juneteenth Saturday late afternoon, at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center.
The pair were among a handful of competitors who took part in the pageant showing off their talents on stage and highlighting the significance of the holiday.
“It feels like an honor to represent Milwaukee’s Black youth, inspire others, and like I always do continue to advocate for freedom and change,” Chamber said,
Participants were judged in five categories — poise and personality, creative performance talent, evening wear, and interview questions.
The pageant is a Milwaukee Juneteenth tradition that has been going on for decades and one mom, Dionna Clemmons, said she's excited to see continue.
Since winning the crown herself in 1995, Clemmons' kids have followed suit in the Little Juneteenth pageant. Her daughter Brionna currently holds the Little Miss Juneteenth title.
“I love it! I love it because that means it’s not lost. The history of Juneteenth is not lost,” Clemmons said. “It means we are educating the community. It means that we are putting back what we got out of it.”
Competitors took to the stage performing dances, spoken word, and showing off their vocals — something 2023 Miss Juneteenth Adabobi Nnamuchi knows isn’t easy.
“Finding that creative outlet and being able to showcase that to the judges and to the whole audience takes a lot of dedication and willpower to show your bold spirit,” Nnamuchi said.
Nnamuchi, now a pre-med student at UW-Madison, said she was grateful to take part in the competition and looks forward to seeing what her successors do next.
On top of walking away with crowns and trophies, participants were also awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships, an investment in their futures.
First-place winners were given $2,000 each, second place $1,500, and $1,000 for third place.
Juneteenth
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