Miss Juneteenth Pageant celebrates young Black women leaders in Minnesota

NINA MOINI: A new crown and sash was presented to Miss Juneteenth Minnesota 2025. It's a pageant that's in its second year. The pageant celebrates young Black women who are leaders in their communities and who can rock some amazing looks.

This year's winner is Jailyn Newton from Eden Prairie. She's here with us alongside last year's winner Khadija Lamah. Congratulations to both of you queens. Thank you for being here.

JAILYN NEWTON: Thank you for having us.

NINA MOINI: What a treat. Jailyn, I understand it's been very much an honor. I mean, I can only imagine. How did you feel when you found out that you are now Miss Juneteenth 2025?

JAILYN NEWTON: Yes, it definitely has been an honor. I have to say, I felt-- I was excited at first but also very surprised but grateful at the same time because this is something that you do want to carry with grace and with honor, especially when you are doing it for a community of people.

NINA MOINI: Absolutely. Would you walk us through what it takes to participate in the pageant? I know it's newer. What are you all doing when you're competing, Jailyn?

JAILYN NEWTON: Yes, I can. So what do-- we go through a number of classes that we partake in and different trainings. So one of the trainings that we went through was CPR training--

NINA MOINI: Oh, wow.

JAILYN NEWTON: --with Brittney Baker. And she was the first Black female fire captain in St. Paul. So that was amazing to do. And then we also did financial literacy with Demitri McGee. And he taught us about how to read our credit report, and then also what we need to do to have a generation of wealth and then also be homebuyers.

NINA MOINI: Amazing. So what are you doing when you're competing?

JAILYN NEWTON: So we prepare. We prepare as far as our walk and modeling. And then we had Miss Denishia teach us that. And then we also are strengthened in encouraging one another.

So we talk about how we feel when we speak about encouraging one another and then talk about how we can uplift one another just behind the scenes and then around in our community. So a lot of building ourselves and building each other, community building and sisterhood.

NINA MOINI: Yeah. And Khadijah, you were the first. So you are wrapping up your year as Miss Juneteenth Minnesota 2024. Would you tell us a little bit about what it was like serving in that role?

KHADIJAH LAMAH: Oh, it was amazing. I've done many pageants, so the Miss Juneteenth Minnesota State pageant wasn't my very first. But I have to say it was one of the best experiences for me, as my fellow sister queen did say.

Just serving in the role really was about being a representation for community, for the women that look like me and women that don't look like me either, right, but being a role model for so many young Black women and showing them that we are allowed to take up space and we are allowed to be seen for our beauty, for our grace, for our excellence and elegance.

And serving in this world did-- it was a hard job because you are tasked with being at many different appearances. You're constantly greeting and meeting people. You're constantly out and about in the heels, wearing heels nonstop. So you're having to also find some hacks to make heels feel a little bit comfortable after wearing them for five-plus hours.

But I mean, it's truly an honor to have served in that role for a year. It was bittersweet letting it go. But I also understood that a part of what makes Miss Juneteenth Minnesota such a legacy is that you get to pass it on to other Black women and young Black women to continue moving this forward.

NINA MOINI: Jailyn, I hope you're listening to that shoe advice. [LAUGHS]

JAILYN NEWTON: I am. And I'd take all wisdom that I can.

NINA MOINI: Yeah. So Jailyn, had you done many pageants before? Or what are you looking forward to specific to this new role and title?

JAILYN NEWTON: So I've never done a pageant before. This was my very first.

NINA MOINI: Wow. Amazing.

JAILYN NEWTON: Yes. And then what I'm looking forward to, like Miss Khadijah said, is being able to be a role model and an example to the young women of color that look like me or don't look like me but also would love to do a pageant or love to be celebrated for just being themselves.

So that's what I look forward to is being an example to those that also want to know who they are and just love who they are as well.

NINA MOINI: Yeah. Khadijah, I understand that there are perhaps different age groups or many different people competing. Do you continue on talking with some of the women that you competed against? Are you building new relationships and bonds?

KHADIJAH LAMAH: Yeah, actually, some of the women that I did compete against I knew prior to starting the pageant. There were many women that I met for the first time throughout the pageant journey.

And I think one of the beautiful things about the pageant is the intergenerational aspect. The Miss Juneteenth Minnesota State Pageant takes young women and women from ages 6 now, with division 6 being added on, 6 to 35.

So that intergenerational piece, finding-- seeing yourself in girls that are 10 or 9, and having conversation and seeing so many similarities or being like, oh, my gosh, this was me at nine years old, right, and then having them, too, see themselves being reflected in you.

And there is the Little Miss Juneteenth, currently 2025. I actually called her my mini-me. We call each-- she calls me Big Me and I call her Mini-Me, just because seeing her presence on the stage. And I was like, oh, my gosh, this reminds me so much of myself as a young woman, right, and then being able to relate in such a way.

So meeting all of the girls, no matter the age, and being able to have that shared sisterhood is truly amazing. And it's like no other. I mean, I've competed in pageants where I was in an age category with women that were similar to my age. But being able to connect in that intergenerational aspect is truly amazing and what real sisterhood and womanhood is all about to me.

NINA MOINI: I love that. Jailyn, what would you say since you said this was your first kind of dipping your toe in very successfully into the pageant scene-- but what would you say to other young Black women who are considering maybe entering into this pageant who don't have that experience? What does it take? Is it more of just what's inside of you?

JAILYN NEWTON: Yes. What I would say is to don't second-guess yourself and never sell yourself short, because everyone is different. Everyone has something to offer. And everyone exudes beauty from the inside out.

So it doesn't a matter what they look like, and specifically for this pageant. So the outside beauty is not what they take to heart when they're judging. They're looking at everything else.

So when you're in the pageant or wanting to be in the pageant, don't worry about what others look like. Don't compare yourself. Just come in and be who you are, truly who you are. And you'll see that with the sisterhood as well. You'll love each other through everything and for who they are. Everybody is different. Everyone is diverse. And the skin color as well. So it's like everyone is beautiful for who they are.

NINA MOINI: Beautiful. Wow. I thank you both so much for bringing such a joyous and lovely ending to our show and our week. And congratulations to you both.

JAILYN NEWTON: Thank you.

KHADIJAH LAMAH: Thank you so much. Thank you for having us.

NINA MOINI: Thank you. That was Miss Juneteenth, Minnesota 2024, Khadija Lamah and Miss Juneteenth Minnesota 2025, Jailyn Newton.