Meet Teresa Clay, Miss Indy Juneteenth 2022

Meet Teresa Clay, a resident of Indianapolis who embodies the spirit of Juneteenth and embraces its message of freedom, resilience, and unity. She was crowned Miss Indy Juneteenth in 2022.

She shares about how this holiday is a moment of cultural celebration.

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and delivered the news of the Emancipation Proclamation and effectively ending slavery in the last Confederate state.

Clay said that to her, Juneteenth symbolizes freedom and the opportunity to choose your own life. It is part of American history, she said, and it should be celebrated by all.