City Crowns Mr. And Miss Black Aurora Ahead Of Juneteenth Week

AURORA, IL — Aurora crowned Mr. and Miss Black Aurora to kick off Juneteenth celebrations.

West Aurora High School senior Kam'ron Tolliver and Oswego East High School junior Ky’Aire Evans were crowned Mr. and Miss Black Aurora. They'll serve as king and queen of the Royal Court, respectively.

Tolliver is a student-athlete who excels in fine arts, and Evans is involved in the Spanish Honors Society and English Honor Society and dances for Aurora-based Dream Dance Academy, city officials said.

East Aurora High School senior Dwayne Hudson was crowned prince, and Waubonsie Valley High School junior Miyah Harden was chosen as the new princess.

The four new members of the Royal Court will represent Aurora's Black community during the 2024-25 school year. Officials said they will engage with their peers, mentor younger students and actively participate in community service.

Fox 32 Chicago Anchor Anita Blanton was the special guest speaker at the crowning ceremony Thursday. She was also presented with the Mayor's Award for Black Excellence for her service to the community.

"For me, it's not good enough to just talk about the problems on the news, especially those involving our young people," she said during her keynote speech. "I want to be a part of the good moments. I want to be part of the celebrations."

The new royals' first official duty will be to raise the Juneteenth flag during the upcoming flag-raising ceremony at 1 p.m. June 19.