Juneteenth Takes on a Special Meaning for a Queen

If you paid attention to social media in the past few days, then you are aware that yesterday marked the commemoration of Juneteenth. For those of you who do not know the history of Juneteenth, please keep reading. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of slavery in the United States. It was on June 19, 1865 when the Union army led by General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to inform those  that the war had ended and the the enslaved were finally free. This occurred 2.5 years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation (January 1, 1863).  The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on Texans because of the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order.

Every year during Juneteenth, African-Americans celebrate with feasts, song, and dance which is what the last slaves in Texas did when they learned they were free. Also many Juneteenth festivities incorporate pageants into their celebrations.

As a pageant professional and enthusiast, I believe participating in a pageant is  a beautiful way to commemorate this special holiday. As queens it is important for us to not only find ways  give back to our communities but also celebrate our history and culture in a unique way.

To get more insight on being a Juneteenth queen, I had the pleasure of interviewing Aftan Williams. Aftan was the 1st Queen Juneteenth for the Atlanta Parade and Music Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.

Where and when did you compete? 

I was appointed in 2017 as the 2017-2018 Queen Juneteenth in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

Why did you choose to enter a Juneteenth pageant?

I actually founded the addition to the vision and crafted the titles with the Juneteenth Atlanta Parade and Music Festival. There was no actual pageant but a ceremony done on the Macy’s stage at Greenbriar Mall. I am the first ever Queen Juneteenth (for the Juneteenth Atlanta Parade and Music Festival) along with my court!

 

What were the competition categories?

No competition. The ladies were chosen for year #1!

 

 

What did being a Juneteenth queen mean to you?

It meant having a chance to represent freedom of my people and making the chance happen for people to see it as beautiful!

 

What were some of the activities that you did during your reign?

We attended church, gave buckets of shoes to the needy through an organization, did a community meet and greet, spoke on panels for the youth and much more!

 

What other cultures use pageantry to commemorate special days? Latin American? Caribbean American?  Asian American? Educate us by letting us know in the comments below.  It is important that we learn about the different cultures that make us all unique and special.