Wilmington teen wins first-ever Miss Juneteenth National Pageant

WILMINGTON, Delaware (WPVI) -- A teen from Wilmington, Delaware captured a national award while also delivering a strong message on the importance of African American history.

Saniya Gray has already been crowned Miss Juneteenth in Delaware for two straight years, but now she is taking home another impressive accolade.

Gray was awarded the top prize in the first-ever Miss Juneteenth National Pageant last weekend.

The competition was held in Memphis, Tennessee.

Young women from 19 other states participated in the competition, but only three finalists made the trip to Memphis.

Gray says her focus now is telling others about the importance of celebrating Juneteenth, which commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.

One of her other passions is bringing awareness to domestic violence and the even greater threat it's posed to many families during the pandemic.