17 young Black women were celebrated during Athens’ first annual Miss Juneteenth Pageant held on Saturday night at the Morton Theatre. While trophies abounded, only one young woman went home with the crown and sash.
On Saturday evening, temperatures are blazing in downtown Athens, Georgia. Inside the Morton Theatre, however, it’s cool, despite being crowded with people. The energy is buzzing with excitement. A little after five, the lights dim, and one by one, 17 young women from ages 5 to 13 take the stage.
It’s the first annual Miss Juneteenth pageant in Athens. Shawania Lay is the pageant’s director, and Miss Black Athens 1986. She says the pageant is about more than outer beauty.
“It offers them sisterhood, actually, new friendships. It offers them confidence and builds their confidence. What I’m trying to create is a safe place for girls to come to. This is just the tip of it. We do a lot of things together.”
The audience cheered on each girl, especially the little ones, as they shared their talents, modeled evening gowns, and showed off their personalities during a question and answer session.
At the end, though, there was only one Miss Juneteenth crowned—10 year old Regan Jones from Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School, who wowed the audience with her confidence during a step routine.