Magical Evening at Inaugural Juneteenth VIP Dinner and Fashion Show
The first annual Shades of Diversity Juneteenth VIP Dinner & Fashion Show was held at the 601 Graves hotel in Downtown Minneapolis, MN. The purpose of the event, as organizer Dre Sims of Inside Out states, was “to bring people together collectively…It is important to bring all people of color together…We are bringing people together to network and create opportunities.” And the Shades of Diversity soiree aimed to do just that.
The evening began with rooms full of community businesses, a silent auction and live jazz, giving participants the opportunity to network with one another and actively involve themselves in local businesses. Girls In Action, Homewood Studios, Vasuda Salon, and Mshale Newspaper were just a few of the various community businesses displaying their products and services. The silent auction included items such as dinner at Temple Restaurant, signed Basketball shoes by host and Minnesota Lynx player Tamika Raymond and even a Jaguar, courtesy of Jaguar Land Rover Minneapolis.
The magic of the evening began with the panel of community leaders and was sparked by the powerful spoken word of Sha Cage and the jovial introduction by Tamika Raymond. The theme of the night, diversity, managed to slip into the message of each and every speaker. Tom Gitaa, Publisher of Mshale Newspaper, spoke of the importance of diversity in light of immigrants in Minnesota today and the necessity to work together to “build our community.” Rico Vallejos, President & Creative Director of International & Ethnic Communications, Inc. and its Hispanic division, LatinoCreative, detailed diversity by defining what it is not…uniformity. Tim Brewster, Head Football Coach for the Minnesota Gophers, explained how “there is a disconnect in the diversity at the University of Minnesota…and that needs to change.” And Congressman Keith Ellison highlighted the purpose of the evening by discussing the idea that Juneteenth should go farther than the African-American community.
All of these speakers worked-up to the keynote speaker of the evening: Dr. Verna Price of Girls In Action. Dr. Price discussed her organization, which utilizes “personal power, leadership development, service-learning, and career building” to mentor and empower young girls at North High School in Minneapolis. Following Dr. Price’s powerful and motivational presentation was a brief comedy show by Brandon “Snack Bar” Lewis to commence the last portion of the night. Various designers, models by Ms. Denishia, stylists and make-up artists collaborated to present a funky and fun fashion show – a creative element to add to the diversity of the program. The evening ended with “The Afterparty,” music by DJ Ray Seville and one last opportunity for program participants to exchange business cards.
Juneteenth has been celebrated across America as a day of reflection, history, community, pride and growth. The first annual Juneteenth Shades of Diversity Dinner & Fashion Show displayed several of these elements by bringing communities together professionally and creatively.
