Miss Juneteenth review, Culture Whisper
‘American Dream? Ain’t no American Dream for black folks,’ says the owner of a tacky Texan bar, in this subtle social drama from debut filmmaker Channing Godfrey Peoples.
In the bathroom at the back, Turquoise or ‘Turq’ (Nicole Beharie) – a former Miss Juneteenth winner – is scrubbing the toilet. She won the pageant back in 2004, and it promised a way out of a poor life. That dream faded, but she’s holding hope for her 15-year-old daughter Kai (Alexis Chikaeze) to win the top prize: a scholarship to a historically Black college of her choice.
But Kai isn’t overly fussed: she’d rather browse on her phone that hear about the significance of Juneteenth, one of the most important dates in African-American history. Peoples simultaneously celebrates this time of Black independence while mocking the tough class structures it creates.
