MILWAUKEE — Friday night marked the 33rd annual Juneteenth MKE Freedom Ball, an event raising critical dollars for the Miss & Mr. Juneteenth Scholarship Program that directly supports young Black leaders in the Milwaukee community.
Seventeen-year-old Sydney Purifoy-Mahone was recognized as Miss Juneteenth 2025 last weekend at the Juneteenth pageant.
"I am Miss Juneteenth of one of the largest celebrations of Juneteenth in the nation," Purifoy-Mahone said.
She said the role comes with significant responsibility.
"Being an ambassador of Juneteenth you have to be a role model and you have to incorporate all the great qualities it means to be a role model," Purifoy-Mahone said.
For 34 years, the Northcott Neighborhood House has honored African American teens like Purifoy-Mahone and Mister Juneteenth, Kamari Murray.
"I'm glad I'm able to like showcase who I am and be authentic with this title and really like showcase to the community who I am and what I like to do," Murray said.
The pageant also celebrates younger community members making a big difference in Milwaukee.
"Everyone has the same amount of beautifulness," 9-year-old Lyric Kendrick said.
She was crowned Little Miss Juneteenth.
Her counterpart, Matteo Cooks, who earned the title of Mister Juneteenth Junior, shares a similar perspective.
"I hope that more people sign up and there's more chances for everybody, every little boy in the world to get their own spot in the light," Cooks said.
These young leaders honor their African American heritage throughout the year, especially during Juneteenth celebrations.
Watch: 33rd annual Juneteenth MKE Freedom Ball celebrates young Black scholars
"It means just to celebrate our ancestors and show the power they had," Cooks said.
For Murray, the holiday represents opportunity and recognition of history.
"Juneteenth means that we can showcase what our ancestors really wanted for us, we can be ourselves, we can come out and really make a difference, and have the opportunities that our ancestors did not have," Murray said.
This story was reported on-air by Megan Lee and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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