KENOSHA — The Kenosha community came together Friday at Civic Center Park for a Juneteenth dedication ceremony — celebrating freedom, opportunity, and unity — and honoring a local entrepreneur who has been giving back for years.
The ceremony brought together community members, local leaders, and organizations to recognize the significance of Juneteenth and reflect on its enduring message.
Alvin Owens, one of the event's organizers, says the day is about more than history. It is about what the community looks like right now.
"I want people to feel the same thing I'm feeling — pride and joy," Owens said. "It doesn't matter who you are, when you come out and you see the love and the pride and the family spirit — all woven within our businesses, within our nonprofits — and it's displayed through our young people."
Miss Juneteenth Marley Kirby says the holiday deserves the same recognition as any other American celebration of freedom.
"I think this as a whole means freedom but I think it also means celebration," Kirby said. "It should be as celebrated as the Fourth of July. It's about spreading information, awareness, and celebrating freedom."
Among those honored during the ceremony was Deshaun Foster — owner of BLAK Coffee — Kenosha's first Black-owned coffee shop — who was recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year for his years of dedicated service to the community.
TMJ4 News first introduced viewers to Deshaun and BLAK Coffee in 2023 — and featured him again during Black History Month in February 2026. Friday's recognition was a full-circle moment.
"It's exciting to get recognized — even when you do things from the heart," Foster said. "I don't do it for the glitz and glamour. I do it because of how my grandmothers and my mother raised me — knowing that there's a need in the community."
The Juneteenth celebration continues through the weekend in Kenosha.
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