Mh2>Crown H.E.R. Miss Indy Juneteenth Dress worn by Teressa Clay
On June 19, 1865, now known as Juneteenth, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to ensure that all enslaved people were freed. Although slavery was abolished in 1863, there were over 250,000 Black Americans still enslaved in Texas, the final state to officially abolish slavery. Juneteenth became a federal holiday commemorating that event in 2021.
Teresa Clay wore this dress in the 2022 Crown H.E.R. Miss Indy Juneteenth Pageant where she was crowned the very first Miss Indy Juneteenth. Liberian immigrant and local resident Euphemia Fleming handmade the dress, named “The Queen of Nations,” for Clay, a process that took approximately 126 hours.
Fleming described her process in this way: “A lot of times people will make things just based on what style they want. But when I’m designing, the fabric has to speak. And then I listen. And then whatever comes out is what I make.”
