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Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant 2019

by Chronicle Staff June 11, 2019October 30, 2025

Miss Juneteenth is no ordinary pageant. “I call it a pageant with a purpose,” Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said. On Sat., June 8, the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Barnett said it, purpose. In celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating June 19th, 1865, as the abolition of slavery in Texas, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation – the pageant imparts the culture and history of this holiday on young women by fostering education, community, and sisterhood. Its goal shone through each contestant as many maintained platforms of inspiring self-love and self-acceptance for black girls and combating bullying. – Lilli Hime
“Third time’s the charm,” Kennedy Wallace said, having finally won the title of Miss Juneteenth 2019 after competing two previous years. “My platform is on black-on-black crime, due to all of the crimes and shootings happening in East Austin. I would like to make a change.”
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
With this year’s “Homecoming” theme focusing on the legacy and importance of historically black colleges and universities, the Divine Nine – a premier organization of African American fraternities and sororities also known as the National Pan-Hellenic Council – lined up on stage to honor their work in supporting the black community in higher education. As representatives lined up in power stances across the stage, letting loose their organization’s defining call, alumni in the audience would call back with excitement.
Rose Smith was honored with the Dr. Charles Atkins Legacy Award for her work as a community advocate to unite and empower the black community. Smith is the founder and CEO of Reach Out Supporting Every Sister and Black Women in Business, two nonprofits that seek to empower women and specifically black women in business, respectively. “Every single one of us has a passion and every single one of us has a gift, and it is up to us to give that gift to the world.”
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
“It’s bigger than the pageant,” Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, referring to its scholarship and mentor program. “We say it’s the inner beauty pageant because we work on self, self-awareness, self-love, self-image, and being confident. You make them feel enough.”
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
“What I learned is sisterhood and how to connect with my fellow African American sisters.” Alesia Gaddis, Miss Juneteenth 2019 Princess, said. Gaddis was also able to work in the Miss Juneteenth’s mentor program to provide guidance to some of the pageant’s younger contestants. “I was able to grow a connection with them because kids are where I can center around.”
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.
On Sat., June 8, in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas – the 39th annual Miss Juneteenth Austin Scholarship Pageant took the For the City Center stage with beauty, grace, and, as Austin Pageant Officer Tanisha Barnett said, purpose.

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