Tri-State Expo announces 2021 Juneteenth Queens

DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) - The annual Juneteenth Celebration is a little more than a week away, but organizers are busy putting the final touches on the community-wide event.

The Tri-State Expo announced this year’s Juneteenth Queens at Mural City Coffee on Monday.

Six-year-old Jacey Banks of Hidden Lake Elementary was crowned Little Miss Juneteenth.

17-year old Taleisha Potter of Ashford High School has been named Miss Juneteenth.

“It’s honestly a very honorable moment to not only honor myself, but to be upheld in this position to honor young African American young ladies, so they can become comfortable within themselves and to feel like they don’t have to change anything about them,” Potter said.

The Juneteenth celebration will include a parade, performances, and other festivities. The parade will begin at Porter Square Mall, and travel down West Adams, South Oates, and Saint Andrews streets, before ending at the Dothan Civic Center.

It will include more than 25 entries, including the Juneteenth Grand Marshal Deborah Maynor Pearson, the Juneteenth Queens, and public officials.

“This is a celebration of good decision making. And so that’s what we want, what we desire the public to understand and so we invited everyone to come out, celebrate with us,” said Tri-State Expo spokesperson Leah McKay.

For more information on how to participate in the parade, you can can visit here.

The festivities are set for Saturday, June 19th.

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