As a young girl with nine siblings, Willie Holton Halbert ’77 often felt she was living in the shadow of others. When her father called her downstairs one day, she went with her head low, wondering what she must have done wrong.
Instead, her father delivered a powerful message.
“He looked at me and said, ‘Willie, you don’t think much of yourself, do you?’ Then he started speaking life into me,” Halbert said.
He praised his daughter for her kindness, creativity, and beauty, encouraging her to become who she was meant to be. The words of affirmation took root.
“From that day forward, my whole attitude changed and doors started opening for me,” said Halbert, now 72. “I was blessed to have a mother and father that took the time to make sure I saw the gift that was in myself. That put in me a desire to do the same thing for other young people.”
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That desire recently led Halbert—who fell in love with Bloomington-Normal as a student at Illinois State University nearly 50 years ago—to help coordinate the inaugural Bloomington-Normal Miss Juneteenth Pageant through the Beta Iota Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., where she is a member. The chapter took on the project after Bloomington’s Human Relations Commission invited the group to organize the event.
Held Saturday, June 13, the pageant drew more than 100 guests to Illinois State’s Capen Auditorium to support eight participants ages 9-18. Contestants took to the stage to dance, sing, share poetry, play instruments, and model garments representing African cultural traditions. Bloomington High School senior Mackenzie McCray performed an original piece of spoken word and was crowned Miss Juneteenth, and 12-year-old Journey Lawson played the bass clarinet and was named Little Miss Juneteenth.
The pageant theme was “Igniting the Spirit of Juneteenth: Past, Present, and Empowering the Future.”
“Rather than focus on the pageant as a competition, we focused on building their self-esteem and developing leadership skills while acknowledging their talents, and celebrating the principles, culture, and legacy of Juneteenth,” Halbert said.
In the six weeks leading up to the event, Halbert coached the participants through etiquette workshops, interview practice, and a group dance. The girls also wrote essays about Juneteenth and how their talents could benefit the community, and they volunteered at the Mount Pisgah Baptist Church food pantry.
“There is a message of love and hope when we see our children sharing with their community,” Halbert said.
Juneteenth celebrates the anniversary of June 19, 1865—nearly two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed—when soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform African Americans that they were free from slavery.
“This has led to celebrations acknowledging the culture of African Americans, their contributions to the United States, and the appreciation of who we are as a people,” Halbert said. “Over the years, it has picked up more energy and enthusiasm from people in Bloomington-Normal. We have looked at different ways to celebrate the freedom of education, resilience, and African American culture.”
“The history of Juneteenth elevates the voices of past and present Black women leaders, offering inspiring role models for the next generation.”
—Reland Carter ’96
Reland Carter ’96, president of the Beta Iota Zeta Chapter, said it was important for the chapter to accept the call to organize the event as a historic moment for the community. The group intends to establish the pageant as an annual tradition.
“Zeta Phi Beta’s principles are scholarship, service, sisterhood, and finer womanhood, and we felt that the Miss Juneteenth Pageant represented all of these. It allows young ladies to celebrate their identity and culture while fostering a sense of sisterhood,” Carter said.
Her granddaughter, 12-year-old Leilani Franklin, also participated in the pageant and sang He Wants It All by Forever Jones, earning runner-up for Little Miss Juneteenth.
“The history of Juneteenth elevates the voices of past and present Black women leaders, offering inspiring role models for the next generation,” Carter said. “I hope the event inspired them to be proud, bold, and confident—to believe in themselves and embrace who they are.”
Miss Juneteenth participants will be recognized at the annual Juneteenth Community Celebration at Miller Park in Bloomington on Saturday, June 20. The free event runs from noon to 6 p.m., featuring performances, vendors, and food trucks, with the Miss Juneteenth royal court presentation at 2:45 p.m. Learn more at BN-Juneteenth.org.
