On Saturday, June 17, Rising Queens Inc will be hosting its third annual Juneteenth Day Beloit celebration. People from throughout the state of Wisconsin and the outskirts of Illinois will be meeting at Jones Pavilion Riverside Park from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. to celebrate the freedom of formerly enslaved people in America in 1865.
Rising Queens Inc is a non-profit organization in Beloit that focuses on helping those who are low-income in their community. They use a holistic approach to help people sustain a livable quality of life.
Tracy Dumas serves as the executive director of Rising Queens Inc, and is excited to honor her ancestors’ hard work and dedication with this special event for her community.
“It’s important to celebrate and honor our ancestors for the fight that they fought so hard,” Dumas said, “for us to be where we’re at today.”
This year’s celebration will feature people gathering from the stateline area, from both Illinois and Wisconsin. There will also be plenty of different types of food and store vendors, providing their unique products.
“We have a lot of people coming out,” Dumas said. “You’ll see a lot of local vendors, Black and Hispanic owned, who are coming to showcase their talents and skills, and what they have to offer in their mom-and-pop shops.”
The event will feature Beloit’s own DJ Zack D and will be emceed by The Ville and Malasia Jordan from Freeport, Illinois. Pastor Kenda Roman will be hosting a keynote address, “Black Mental Wellness Matters: From Surviving to Thriving.” There will also be special performances from the Diamond Elites Cheerleaders, Adam Gasser, Xica Simone and the BGC Nation Dance team.
Dumas talked about the importance of Juneteenth Day Beloit, an event that started during the pandemic by leaders of Rising Queens.
“Rising Queens hosts this annual event because it’s unique to us as Black business owners,” she said. “When you think about the things that our ancestors went through, all the way up even until today, the fight is still the fight. But it has allowed us to have enough freedom now, versus working for somebody. Now we’re working for ourselves.”
Dumas and her team are looking forward to celebrating and being in community with people. She appreciates the support from and attendance of community members, who all come together to celebrate freedom and the end of the brutal institution of American slavery.
“I’m just excited about the lineup that we have and the fact that we get so many people down on Riverside together for this one day,” she said. “Last year we had over 60 vendors. When you can see the atmosphere and the mood of the people. It’s just so peaceful and calm.
“It’s everything it should be for that day for the reasons behind why Juneteenth even exists today,” she added.
Visit the Facebook page for Juneteenth Day Beloit 2023 for more information and updates about the event.
