Pasco teen crowned queen at Miss Juneteenth pageant

A 16-year-old Chiawana High School student was crowned queen at the Miss Juneteenth pageant over the weekend.

Christana Craig also won the Miss Congeniality title and the academic achievement award in addition to the queen’s crown.

She’s the daughter of Jeanean Smith of Pasco and Christopher Craig of Seattle. An incoming junior at Chiawana High in Pasco, she participates in student leadership and the speech and debate club.

Other contestants also earned honors at the June 10 pageant. Princess Kannah was named first princess, Kaneeta Groce Salinas was named second princess and Olivia Milton was named third princess.

Salinas won the hostess award for selling the most pageant tickets. Terris Hargrow was crowned the junior pageant hostess.

The pageant was open to African American girls in grades 10 to 12.

Juneteenth commemorates when word of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Galveston, Texas. It’s the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery in the U.S.

This story was originally published June 12, 2017 at 4:49 PM with the headline "Pasco teen crowned queen at Miss Juneteenth pageant."