Miss Juneteenth Minnesota State Pageant

The Miss Juneteenth MN State Pageant Organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to creating a platform that provides our Black generation with access to educational, networking, and career opportunities. Our organization offers scholarships, awards, gifts, and other prizes and hosts a variety of workshops designed to enhance self-esteem and confidence, empowering participants to overcome obstacles and achieve their full potential.

A central mission of the Miss Juneteenth Minnesota State Pageant is to help the Black community rediscover and celebrate their history and heritage by educating participants about the origin and significance of Juneteenth. In addition, we have expanded our divisions to include Mr. Juneteenth MN, allowing us to recognize and support the growth and development of boys and young men as well.

We are committed to creating safe spaces, healthy relationships while minimizing negative distractions, so that the gifts and talents of our Black generation can be celebrated and showcased in a supportive setting.

These girls, boys, women, and young men will participate in a variety of workshops focused on enhancing self-esteem, confidence, and overcoming obstacles. They will acquire tools that will assist them with navigating through life positively, productively, and respectfully. The pageant’s theme, "Rediscovering our Culture and Redefining our Freedom,” clearly aligns with these goals and objectives.

 The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture website explains Juneteenth as “…On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, with the news that more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free. This day came to be known as Juneteenth, now officially a federal holiday. Juneteenth is a time to celebrate, gather as a family, reflect on the past and look to the future…” 

This overview is incorporated into the sessions and serves as the underpinning of the Miss Juneteenth Minnesota Pageant. Our goal is to encourage the contestants to aspire to become quality public speakers, embrace their diversity, understand their self-worth, improve their poise, and gain an understanding that beauty resides within them. 

One of the primary ways we fulfill our mission is by increasing participants’ awareness of mental health challenges and the social struggles that can arise from embracing their unique identities. Through our programs, we strive to actively reduce anxiety, depression, and insecurity by fostering a deeper understanding of how societal pressures influence perceptions of beauty and self-worth. By empowering individuals to overcome these challenges, we help them build confidence and resilience, reducing the desire to conform or seek external validation.

To achieve these important goals, we are seeking your support from November 1st through November 25th. As a valued supporter, you will play a vital role in making the 3rd Annual Miss Juneteenth Minnesota State Pageant a groundbreaking, historic, and truly successful event—this year and for years to come. Proceeds from the event and sponsorships will directly support Miss Juneteenth Minnesota’s initiatives, with a special emphasis on mental health awareness and empowerment.