Issue

02

June

04

2016

B O R NROYAL

G.E.A.Y.AMiss Juneteenth

Scholarship Pageant

OneUnited

Bank

Presented By

HUSTON TILLOTSON

UNIVERSITY

EMPOWERED BY

We were

uneteenth has been celebrated for over150 years now. It’s a time to celebrate from howfar we’ve come and what we have to do next toget where we’re going. This Miss Juneteenthseason, we wanted to explore histories thataren’t often covered in American history as itconcerns people of African descent. Our storyoften starts with the tragic Atlantic Slave Trade,but that is not how our story started in theUnited States and that is certainly not the entirehistory of our people. As the saying goes, “Youdon’t know where you’re going until you knowwhere you’ve been."

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Born Royal!

“You don’t knowwhere you’re goinguntil you know

where you’ve been."

Some of the places we have been include theheads of empires and kingdoms, and in palaces.These are the stories not often told; so, tonightwe are telling these stories. Our contestants willembody African royalty as a part of thecompetition. Prepare to be amazed as you seethese girls and young women bring thesehistorical figures to life! Once we know our fullstory, we can continue to work towards attainingthe abundance we once had. The Greater EastAustin Youth Association and the 2016 MissJuneteenth Pageant committee is excited tolearn with you and build our collective futures!

Juneteenth Celebration on June 19, 1900

The crowning of 2015's Miss Juneteenth Shasparay Lighteard

Welcome to the 2016 Miss Juneteenth Pageant!

Mingle with Royalty during our

hasbeen on the journey of becoming an International Entertainer since the age of 6.Now, at 23, with his own day in the Live Music Capital of the world and over 100 liveperformances in the past year alone: Nigel is ready to take his career as an entertainerto the next level. Displaying gifts of love, passion, and excitement through LivePerformances, Recordings, Appearances, Photos, Television and Video. Nigel has astrong drive,passion, skill set, and vision that's constantly being developed.

is Miss Juneteenth 2001, GEAYA and yourRoyal Hostess for the Queen's Mixer. DeNeka Cné Dove is a born Austinite residing inHouston, Tx. She is a mom of one daughter, a licensed stylist, and socialite. She is involved incommunity activism, community service and fashion. Holding a Bachelors and Masters inpsychology, she encourages others to seek positivity in all aspects of life and give your bestin everything you seek to do.

Deneka Dove

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Queen's Mixer

"No one person can do it all, but they can do all they can with what they have."

Nigel Keontraé Rowe

From a driven childhood in Greenville, Mississippi to a propelling young

adulthood in Austin, Texas, this rising star is ready to shine!

is your official DJ for the Queen's Mixer and has been an integral member of the Austinentertainment scene since April of 2009 and has worked in entertainment/music as a DJ andmarketer/promoter since 2005. From assisting artists in the development of their digitalpress kits, to arranging photo-shoots, editing bios, mastering and/or duplicating their CDs,and producing radio & TV Public Service Announcements – DJ Bling has continued toexpand his portfolio by providing artists, both local and visiting, with a host of services. DJBling concentrates many of his efforts into assisting the Austin Hip-Hop community and isespecially passionate about empowering artists with the knowledge, tools, andopportunities that are necessary for them to be able to successfully showcase themselves.He has helped organize and produce multiple events within the community, a few includepublic concerts for the Texas Relays, Street Queens Music Showcase during SXSW from2013-2015, and also Austin’s longest running weekly underground Hip-Hop showcase, NewEra Wednesdays, which took place at The Historic Victory Grill. He is President/CEO of DJBling’s Back 2 School Foundation, a non-profit organization which provides free schoolsupplies and community resources for low-income African-American families.

Joseph ”DJ Bling” Thompson

In addition DJ Bling is also a 12-year veteran of the U.S Marine Corps, a graduate of Full Sail University

with a Bachelors of Science in Music Business, Assistant Manager of the Historic Victory Grill, and

Communications/Marketing Manager for Capitol View Arts.

04 05 06

08 09

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Table of Contents

A Message from MemeStyles, Pageant Chair

04

Community ImpactAward

05

Guest Speaker: Dr.Courtney Robinson

06

Memories

10

A Message from Dr.Colette PierceBurnette, Huston-Tillotson UniversityPresident

12

Meet the Judges

13

Thank You to All of OurSupporters

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09

Meet the Hosts08

Introducing the 2016Miss JuneteenthContestants

15

A Message from the G.E.A.Y.A.

Miss Juneteenth Pageant ChairPhotograp

hed

Meme

Styles| P

hotograp

hy

by

John

Marcu

s

his has been an amazing experience onceagain!It has been my honor and privilege to work withthese lovely contestants and as a volunteer withthe Greater East Austin Youth Association. Thecollective effort and growth of this event has farsurpassed my wildest dreams.

I am immensely proud of all the young ladiescompeting today. As a Black woman, my heart isfilled when I see these young Queens rising tothe challenge to live on purpose. They’vestepped out of their comfort zone and pushedpassed the layer of fear that bogs so many of usdown. Keep Rising!

I want to thank my daughter Jalisa Styles for heramazing heart and spirit as she’s worked withme one more year in the creating of this event.

Cliff Styles, you know you're my rock.. You’remy King. I would also like to thank The super-duper committed volunteers who havepoured so much time into this project. Ms.Tami... thank you for trusting me yet againand Tanisha thank you for putting up withme and my wild ideas!

Finally, we celebrate Juneteenth incelebration of freedom. We celebrate thebreaking of shackles and chains. We dance,for the oppressed is no longer in bodage. Ipray that all who walked into this spaceremembers the sacrifice of our People. Evenmore so, I pray we embrace that freedom byrecognizing who we TRULY are. As childrenof the most high we are all beautiful Kingsand Queens. By reaching back to the root ofAfrica we claim what's ours.

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Cheers and Power,

Meme StylesMiss Juneteenth Pageant Chair

2016 G.E.A.Y.A. Community Impact Award

iss Juneteenth is proud to present the"Community Impact Award" to one localorganization that exemplifies the pageanttheme. YESS, Youth Empowering Societies throughService strives to encourage, foster, and sponsorthe South Sudanese youth in the United States toempower their communities, all while upholdingour presence in South Sudan's nation building.Through enrichment platforms in: youth mentoringprogram, educational seminars, health programs,cultural development and community fundraising.They aspire for South Sudanese youth to becommitted to volunteerism grounded in service; allwhile preserving their heritage, by maintaining theirvalues, culture, principles, and They are continuallyforging new relationships with other non-profitorganizations, humanitarian organizations, as wellas devoted volunteers who are passionate in givingback to the world community.

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Sincerely,

Youth Empowering Societies through Service

Introducing the 2016

Miss Juneteenth Contestants

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Miss Juneteenth Contestants

Ebonie

Diahvyon Naponi

Mia Aubri

Karizma

Introducing the 2016

Miss Juneteenth Contestants

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Junior Miss Juneteenth Contestants &

IndiaJazmineCorinn Kamaria

Kharma

Ya'Mun

Dijonay

Little Miss Juneteenth Contestants

Nyla

ZaliaCherish

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The Hosts

BRANDON JALISA

2016 Miss Juneteenth PageantGuest Speaker

Dr. Robinson has over 20 years ofexperience in educational leadership,including direct employment positions andcontracted roles with universities, communitycolleges, public schools, and non-profitorganizations. She is the Founder/CEO of theconsulting firm Institute for Excellence andAdvancement an organization that assistsschools, justice systems and communityorganizations with critical, transformative andrestorative solutions to culture, race, schooldiscipline and incarceration. She alsofounded the Excellence and AdvancementFoundation a non-profit organization thatprovides direct services to youthful offendersand families impacted by the criminal justicesystem.

Dr. Robinson was awarded the Texas EquityAward in Juvenile Justice by The Center frothe Elimination of Disproportionality andDisparities in 2015. She also appears inSeason 3 of BlackademicsTV on PBS. . Shecurrently serves as an adjunct professor inHuston-Tillotson University’s Adult DegreeProgram and was awarded Faculty Memberof the year 2014-2015. Dr. Robinson hastaught undergraduate courses at theUniversity of Texas at Austin, and HealdCommunity College. She has recentlyconsulted with Austin and PflugervilleIndependent School district. . Dr. Robinsonreceived her B.F.A. from Howard University,and both her M.Ed. and Ph.D. degrees inEducation from the University of Texas atAustin.

Courtney Robinson, PhDwww.DrCourtneyRobinson.comwww.BreakThePipeline.org

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Dr. Courtney Robinson

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Meet the Judges is an electric vocal powerhouse sure tocommand every stage she graces! This "Romance of Austin" has a capaciousbackground in music, poetry, acting and hosting as a personality. Her entertaining,magnetic style and experience, mixed with her vocal gymnastic ability is what makesTree G special. Taking her talents abroad, she’s even dazzled various crowdsperforming all across Los Angeles, Ca., Atlanta, Ga. and the Virgin Islands. Her ferventintention is to help heal healthy relationships of all kind, encourage those she impacts,on and off stage, to love themselves and show compassion to others through her musicand with every Tree G Music performance.

Tree G Music

is a memberof the Nation of Islam, standing for freedom, justice and equality! In her role as theStudent Sister Captain in the NOI, she is instrumental in providing the teachings to helpthe women and girls accept their own and be themselves. Providing an example by herworks, she lets every woman and girl know that they have a divine purpose.She founded the Security/Survival Retreat a class focused on making women moresecurity minded on a physical and spiritual level. As an officer in the Inner CityEmergency Response Team, she trains inner city families how to handle disasters.Christina is a wife, a mother of three which two of those beautiful children she selfishlyadopted. She is a loving sister to many, fighting or in the need of truth.

Christina Muhammad

is the Founder and Lead Pastor of Full LifeCommunity Church in Pflugerville, Texas. He also serves as the Program Director ofAustin LifeGuard, the sexual risk avoidance sex and character education program ofAustin LifeCare Pregnancy Resource Center. Corey is graduated from the University ofTexas at Austin with a B.S. in Communication Studies / Human Relations. He has beenmarried to his wife April since 2003 and they have one daughter Anaia Naomi.

Corey Tabor

Sharecess "Cat" Carter is anEntertainer/Designer and also the Creative Director for the boutique creative servicescompany, The Dojo ATX. The 9 Lives of Cat Carter” is her platform to speak, show, andlive what it means to be a woman! She creates music and designs women's clothinginspired by her platform. That power, that independence, that fire inside - that’s the Cat inyou! Find her on the web: www.thecatcarter.com | www.thedojoatx.com

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A Message from Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette,

Huston-Tillotson University President

reetings,

Huston-Tillotson University is proud to supportthis year’s Miss Juneteenth Pageant, the workof The Greater East Austin Youth Association,and your mission to inspire diversity andpromote cultural awareness about TexasAfrican American history through events,educational programs, and individual projects.

Huston-Tillotson University is Austin’s oldestinstitution of higher education with a proudlegacy of providing educational opportunitiesto all seeking a college degree. Founded 12years after the January 1, 1863, signing of theEmancipation Proclamation, Huston-TillotsonUniversity’s historical footprint is rooted indetermination and resiliency, lifting a race apeople through education.

As a historically black institution, Huston-Tillotson University’s mission is to provideopportunities to a diverse population for

academic achievement with an emphasis onacademic excellence, spiritual and ethicaldevelopment, civic engagement, andleadership in a nurturing environment. TheUniversity offers associate and master’sdegrees in addition to Bachelor of Arts andBachelor of Science degrees in more than 19areas of study. We are honored to provideinstitutional support, covering tuition andfees, to the winner of the 2016 MissJuneteenth Pageant.

I extend my sincere congratulations to all ofthe contestants and extend a personalinvitation to visit the campus and interactwith our students to discover more about HT.You are all queens.

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Warm Regards,

Colette Pierce Burnette, Ed.D.President and CEO

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volunteersthank you.

Amazing

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THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS!

gold sponsors

PLATINUM SPONSORS

OneUnited BankHuston­Tillotson University

HEBAustin Revitalization Authority

The Austin SocialiteA Glimmer of Hope

Mount Bonnell Lodge #2KAZI

JeaUndreasJohn Marcus Photography

The Pecan Street Association 

NAACPTravis Republican Party

Travis County Democratic PartyWright Class Financial ProfessionalsKeller Williams Realty­ Rose Herron

New York Life Insurance Co. ­ Sean GoodenThe Heritage Box

AlibiXGlobalAustin 

PARTNERS OF MISS JUNETEENTH

GIFTS AND AWARDS SPONSORS

Capoeira Evolucao

Massage Envy Steiner Ranch

The Hair Lounge

Austin Zoo

Vernon's Vibrational massage

Danza center for the arts

CapCity Crochet

Strawberry Queen

Cat Carter

Sharon Armstrong

Premier  Designs

Mariposa

Rolling Rooster

Texas Black Pages

Impact Outreach

National Society Of Black Engineers

Austin's Caribbean Cultural Exchange

Photography and Media by Cindy Elizabeth

Tiffany Nicole Loves 

Gabrel Nila

Anastasia

Complete Culture Radio

AFTV5

All Occassion Events

Roots Culture

All Occasion Creations INC

E A T Austin by Rochelle

Queens Concur

Capitol View Artist

Nation Of Islam

Regal Allegiance

Imagez Consulting 

golden sponsors

To our two beautiful princesses,Zaila and SaNaya continue to do your best!

We love you.Love Papa and Grandma 

You were bornRoyal. Good luck

Princess Zaila!We love you. LoveDaddy, mama and

Zayden

I know you will

continue to do great

things! I will always be

here for you.

I hope I am a great role

model to you. Love

Your BFF Swhite!

G L O B A L   A U S T I NC O N G R A T U L A T E S   A L L

T H E   M I S S   J U N E T E E N T HC O N T E S T A N T S

GlobalAustin connects leaders in Central Texas with leaders from allaround the world. Together, we help shape US foreign relations by openingavenues for increased understanding, greater cooperation, security and

prosperity.