We would like to congratulate the four wonderful young women involved in this year’s Miss Juneteenth Scholarship Pageant in Spokane. The Black Lens wrote, “Organized by a committee at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, the pageant provided a platform for young women to celebrate Black history, leadership, and education while honoring the significance of Juneteenth and the meaning of liberation.”
The 2026 Miss Juneteenth Queen is Michaela Daou of Rogers High School. The Miss Juneteenth Court also includes:
- 1st Place Princess: Makayla Roberson — Lewis and Clark High School
- 2nd Place Princess: Mojo Elewodalu — Lewis and Clark High School
- 3rd Place Princess: Sadie Troutt — Gonzaga Preparatory School
As an article in The Black Lens states, “Juneteenth is more than a date—it is a living symbol of our struggle, our resilience, and our shared pursuit of liberation. This theme echoes across communities and generations, reminding us that true freedom is a collective journey.”
Continue your learning through these recommended reads and films! All accessible for free with your library card.
Films
- The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
- The Beauty of Blackness
- Fences
- Hale County This Morning, This Evening
- I Am Not Your Negro
- Miss Juneteenth
- Origin
- We Want the Funk!
Books
28 Days by Charles R. Smith Jr., illustrated by Shane W. Evans
A Flag for Juneteenth by Kim Taylor
Black Boy Joy by Kwame Mbalia
Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley
Daughters of Jubilation by Kara Lee Corthron
First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth by Angélique Roché
Free at Last by Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, illustrated by Alex Bostic
Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Baldez
Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson
Juneteenth Is by Natasha Tripplett, illustrated by Daniel J. O’Brien
Juneteenth with Yasmin by Saadia Faruqi, illlustrated by Debby Rahmalia
Juneteenth by Kevin P. Winn with Kelisa Wing
The Juneteenth Alphabet by Andrea Underwood Petifer, illustrated by Ana Latese
This Here is Love by Princess Joy L. Perry
Opal Lee and What it Means to Be Free by Alice Faye Duncan, art by Keturah A. Bobo
The Juneteenth Story by Alliah L. Agostini, illustrated by Sawyer Cloud
The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams
