Miss Juneteenth is a labor of love for first-time director and Fort Worth native, Channing Godfrey Peoples.
A former Miss Juneteenth herself, she tries to get her teenage daughter, Kai (Alexis Chikaeze), to fulfill the dreams that never came true in her life.
One is of the traditions of Juneteenth in Texas and the pageant, and it also tells the story of Turquoise Jones trying to get her rebellious daughter on the path that will lead her somewhere in life, unlike the heartache she suffered in hers with a good-for-nothing ex-husband and having to work at several jobs just to keep the lights on.
The movie does a good job of drawing the parallels that Texas slaves went through having their emancipation delayed two years and Turquoise’s dreams being delayed by a series of setbacks she’s faced in her life.
Miss Juneteenth is a gut-wrenching story that will move you to tears.
