Miss Juneteenth

Set in a sleepy town in Texas, a black mother tries to make ends meets and exclaims, “I’m gonna make sure my daughter is something I ain’t – she’s my dream now.”

An all-black cast stars in this small budget Indie film about Turquoise, a mother whose dream is for her 15-year-old daughter Kai to enter the Miss Juneteenth Pageant, an event which celebrates June 19, 1865 the date slaves in Texas were freed by President Lincoln.

The winner receives a scholarship to any black institution of her choice, but Kai’s dream is to enter a dance competition, questioning, “I don’t even know why I have to do Miss Juneteenth – it didn’t do nothing for you!” Ultimately both their dreams are realised

Miss Juneteenth highlights the black community’s importance on setting goals and reaching the highest heights possible. The film touches on racial inequality and evokes the ideology that resilience in the face of adversity is admirable, even though many blacks believe that the American dream is only for white communities. (MMo)

★★★