About Us
Miss Juneteenth USA exists because our history deserves to be honored, understood, and carried forward with pride.
MJUSA has now expanded into what it was always destined to become —a conduit of truth, a current of cultural memory, and a gateway to understanding who they are and from where they came. Rooted in legacy and shaped by the full arc of Emancipation, MJUSA stands today as a national platform where culture, identity, and purpose converge.
The Miss Juneteenth USA Cultural Showcase now lives inside of our Legacy & Leadership Conference, where historical truth, self-worth, and ancestral memory are woven into a four-day cultural immersion. It also renders a historic platform to amplify the commemoration of Emancipation, the singular act that carved out space for these young women to stand boldly in their brilliance today.
The expansion of Miss Juneteenth USA now breathes life into a national movement where girls do more than shine— they rise with identity, clarity, and cultural literacy as their superpower.
This is where history becomes power and legacy becomes leadership. #SheReigns
OUR MISSION & WHY IT MATTERS
Our Mission: To educate, elevate, and empower today’s youth by preserving, honoring, and magnifying the African American journey—enriching “The Story of Us” through cultural literacy, legacy, and leadership.
We believe every young person deserves access to cultural literacy—the knowledge of who they are, where they come from, and the legacy they carry. For too long, our history has been fragmented, misunderstood, or reduced to moments instead of movements. Without identity, confidence wavers. Without truth, leadership stalls. Without cultural grounding, potential dims.
That is why our work matters.
The MJUSA Legacy & Leadership Conference—culminating in the Miss Juneteenth USA Cultural Capstone—exists to restore what was lost, correct what was distorted, and illuminate what has always been true: Black youth are heirs to strength, brilliance, resilience, and purpose.
Through intentional education, cultural immersion, and leadership development, we prepare them to step into the world with clarity—rooted in historical truth, guided by ancestral resilience, and ready to lead with integrity and power.
Our mission is bigger than a moment on a stage.
It is a movement to secure legacy, honor freedom, and shape the leaders who will define our future.
Our Pillars of Impact
Together, these pillars form the developmental core that prepares our Queens to lead
with truth, purpose, and cultural authority.
The 1865 Black Renaissance Legacy & Leadership Conference and the Miss Juneteenth USA Cultural Capstone are built on a transformative framework that strengthens identity, honors legacy, and activates leadership. These pillars shape how we teach, how we train, and how our Queens rise with purpose, power, and cultural truth
PILLAR 1: Cultural Literacy
* Receipts, not revisions.*
We restore what history fractured by giving young girls access to the full, accurate story of the African American journey—from enslavement to Emancipation to the ongoing pursuit of freedom. Through immersive workshops, cultural deep dives, and historical truth-telling, participants gain the clarity and grounding needed to stand confidently in who they are.
PILLAR 2: Black Identity & Collective Memory
Your roots called — they said you’re legendary.
When young Black girls understand their roots, they understand themselves. Our curriculum helps participants unlearn false narratives, embrace their worth, reinforce positive self-images, and develop the internal confidence necessary for leadership. Identity becomes not just self-awareness, but self-activation.
PILLAR 3: Legacy Consciousness
Their story. Your turn.
Legacy is not the past. Legacy is what lives in them.
We teach participants to honor ancestral resilience, recognize their place within a multi-century story, and step into the world carrying the responsibility—and privilege—of that inheritance. With legacy comes direction, dignity, and purpose
PILLAR 4: Leadership Development
Preparing young women for real-world impact.
Leadership is the natural outcome of truth + identity + legacy.
Through mentorship, communication training, professional preparation, and real-world cultural application, our participants grow into grounded, articulate young women ready to lead with integrity, insight, and intentionality.
Here, ‘Queen’ is not just a title — it’s a toolkit. The skills they gain shape how they lead in school, in the community, and in the world.
Meet the Founder,
President, National Juneteenth Heirs of Excellence Foundation | Creator of the Miss Juneteenth USA Framework
Ebonie N. Seals
Military Veteran • Cultural Architect & Historian• Branding Ninja • Curriculum Superhero • Youth Empowerer • Digital Marketer • Rising PHD Student
Ebonie Seals is the visionary architect behind the National Juneteenth Heirs of Excellence Foundation and the modern Miss Juneteenth USA movement. The national Miss Juneteenth USA model was born from the success of Virginia’s #DefyTheOdds (DTO) Mentorship Program, an intensive 8-week initiative designed to immerse young girls in Black history, Juneteenth/Emancipation, and Virginia's role in the Story of Us.™ DTO became the blueprint—the cultural, developmental, and philosophical root system that informed the broader national framework. While the DTO curriculum and pedagogy remain exclusive to Virginia, the impact, standards, and strategic structure that Ebonie engineered now guide the national movement for the MJUSA Legacy & Leadership Conference and Cultural Showcase.
As of late 2025, Ebonie serves as its cultural steward, Advisory Chair, and strategic leader, ensuring that the work remains grounded in historical truth and meaningful youth development. As she prepares to pursue her doctorate to advance her scholarship in African American cultural memory and emancipation studies, she further anchors the academic rigor guiding the national mission. Through every initiative, she remains committed to equipping young girls with truth, identity, and purpose—so they not only rise, but reign with clarity, confidence, and intention.
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Meet The Executive Advisory Council
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