The ‘definition of grace.’ Belleville West student crowned Miss Illinois Juneteenth
A Belleville West High School student was named this year’s Miss Illinois Juneteenth, according to a press release from the Illinois Juneteenth Committee. The committee, based in East St. Louis, held the pageant on June 12 at the East St. Louis Higher Education Center.
Grace Glass, a 17-year-old senior, will represent Illinois at the National Miss Juneteenth Pageant in Galveston, Texas, in the fall. She’ll also receive a $2,500 scholarship and make public appearances on behalf of the committee.
“We want to ensure that they also have charisma—a certain light about them that draws individuals to them as they organize people around an issue,” said Stephanie Taylor, chairman of the Illinois Juneteenth Committee. “Miss Illinois Juneteenth as well as our National Miss Juneteenth are not there just to look good. They’re there to uplift issues that are relevant to our nation and relevant to the state of Illinois, whether that be bullying, gun violence, the environment, the empowerment of more people, equity.”
This is the third year that the committee has hosted the pageant. Taylor said the event is another method for the committee to amplify awareness of Juneteenth and its history.
The observance is named after June 19, 1865, when Union forces informed enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, of their freedom—an announcement that came two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Stephanie Taylor, along with her husband Terrance, have been pioneers in getting Juneteenth recognized on a local level. Due to their efforts, St. Clair County board members voted in 2020 to observe Juneteenth as a paid holiday for county employees. It became a state and federal holiday the following year.
“This step with the legislation is just one step,” Stephanie Taylor said. “Now, it’s time to work on the repair. Last year, I said reparations is what we’re going for. This year, I want to make sure there’s a further understanding that it’s about repair, and we need to start with the youth, so that our youth have a better understanding.”
The Miss Illinois Juneteenth Scholarship Pageant is eligible for young women ages 15-18. This year’s competition featured three contestants. They were:
Grace Glass, of Belleville West High School
Brejae’ Chapman, of Belleville West High School
Quentayla Stepney, of East St. Louis Senior High School
Throughout the pageant, contestants are offered the opportunity to display their leadership and public speaking skills. They also receive training on etiquette. Taylor said contestants were tasked with writing an essay on the significance of Juneteenth.
“We want to make sure that our queen embodies the spirit of Juneteenth and she is well-versed on Juneteenth, not only in the state of Illinois but in national history,” Taylor said.
Glass, the winner of the pageant, serves as a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority’s Rhoer club, and the National Honor Society, among other roles. She plans to study business communications in college with the hope of becoming a company’s diversity officer.
For Glass, Miss Illinois Juneteenth means being a leader in the community while providing a platform for others to do the same. She said the health disparities for Black women is an issue she aims to highlight in her role.
“A lot of decisions are being made aboout our bodies that we really have no control over right now,” Glass said. “Those are issues that really mean something to me. I really want to make my platform as positive as possible--- promoting things like self care, wellness and mindfulness and make it light and fun,---but I do understand that a part of having this platform is talking about these difficult issues.”
This month’s pageant was co-sponsored by Community Development Sustainable Solutions, Victorious Life International’s World Changers Prep Academy and Alpha Upsilon Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
“Grace Glass is the definition of grace,” Taylor said. “Grace is a young lady who is able to say what she means unapologetically. One thing about CDSS and Illinois Juneteenth is we are grassroots people who found the power inside of us, and when Miss Glass said if you’re looking for a hero that you have to look inside of yourself, I really wanted to see if she pulled up our mission and vision because that’s what we’re’ all about.”
For more information about the Miss Illinois Juneteenth Scholarship Pageant, email Stephanie or Terrance at sbush@cdss-esl.org and ttaylor@cdss-esl.org
