INDIANAPOLIS — After being crowned Miss Indy Juneteenth in May, Resha Woods-Sutherlin is preparing to celebrate the holiday.
"When I joined the pageant it became more. I started to learn there’s so many people that doesn’t know about Juneteenth and this is a huge way to educate them," Woods-Sutherlin said. "Especially for young women, all women to look up and find someone that they want to represent for Juneteenth, and I was happy and honored to be the first one."
MORE: 2021 Juneteenth celebrations across central Indiana
President Joe Biden signed a billmaking Juneteenth a federal holiday Thursday.
“It’s huge, it’s so beautiful to see and I’m excited to see more Juneteenth events and more people celebrating our freedom,” Woods-Sutherlin said. "A lot of people don’t know what the terminology of Juneteenth and what it means. It’s our freedom day where slavery was completely abolished on June 19, 1865.”
Woods-Sutherlin grew up in Indianapolis and graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University. She's grateful for her new platform and says it's beautiful to see Congress and more people celebrating freedom.
"We now get to educate more, we get to celebrate who we are and this is a great platform for us to showcase what we have been doing and celebrate our freedom," she said.
Woods-Sutherlin will appear in the Indy Juneteenth parade Saturday at Riverside Park.
