On June 19, 2020, Attorney Suntrease Williams-Maynard established The Maynard 4 Foundation alongside her husband and two children with a vision of giving back to the community. Attorney Williams-Maynard is no stranger to service and this has been her way of being able to do what she loves with those she loves. The largest endeavor of the Foundation was its creation of the Miss Juneteenth Scholarship Pageantry Program, which is a program for young ladies nationwide ages 13-18. Designed to educate, empower and enrich, these young ladies spend three days together participating in various workshops, networking with peers and professional women, learning about HBCUs, touring Africatown and much more.
This program consists of two trademarked and registered titles – Junior Miss Juneteenth and Teen Miss Juneteenth which two young ladies will serve as reigning queens for a one-year period. However, this is not simply a pageant but an experience to be cherished forever by both the young ladies and all those that attend. This pageant is not geared towards showcasing the superficial standards of beauty but rather breaking negative stereotypes and fostering confidence while embracing the Black and African-American history and culture. It allows the young ladies to learn about the giants before them, and it gives the public an opportunity to hear about the great contributions of African American women in various fields to include law, science, medicine, art and engineering to name a few.
The inaugural program was hosted on Juneteenth weekend in 2022, and the Foundation is gearing up for an even better program in 2023. The pageantry showcase is open to the public and is scheduled to take place at the Battle House on June 17, 2023. Make plans to attend. For more information, visit missjuneteenth.org. Young ladies may register to participate until March 1st.
