Freedom to be Fabulous! In celebration of Juneteenth, Rhonda Gooden, founder and CEO of Chez Lâa Reine Boutique on New York Avenue in Huntington, will host a “fabulous” fashion show on the Great Lawn of the Walt Whitman Birthplace. The event will feature a dozen models showcasing African American styles from today and yesteryear. There will also be a poetry reading and presentation by Melisa Rousseau, an advocate for Social Justice & Racial Equity. Victoria Jackson will exhibit African American artifacts from her private collection.
BBQ from CJ’s Caribbean American Grill Food Truck will be available for purchase!
This event is FREE!
Rhonda Gooden is a longtime resident of Huntington Township and has always had a heart to serve her community. Gooden is the first African American woman in the Town of Huntington’s Assessor’s Office, where she serves as STAR Exemption Specialist. Gooden also serves as the Cultural/Racial Reconciliation Coordinator for her church, Upper Room Christian World Center in Dix Hills, where she has been an active member there for 30 years. During the Covid-19 Pandemic, Gooden’s non-profit organization raised funds for families affected by virus in partnership with the Huntington Union Free School District’s PTA, the Got Checked Foundation, the W.I.N. Women in NAACP, and the Tri-CYA.
Melisa Chioma Emeghebo Rousseau is a Professor of English and Social Justice with an interest in research that focuses on Black history and de jure and de facto segregation on Long Island from the Middle Passage to the present. Melisa holds three Advanced-Level diplomas from Oxford & Cambridge Universities (Oxbridge) in History, Classical Civilization, and English Literature. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a minor in Black Studies from Boston College; a Master of Science in English Education from LIU Post, a Master of Arts in Sociology from The New School, DEI certification from the University of Chicago, and is completing doctoral coursework researching conceptual, theoretical, and historical critical analyses of intersectional racial stratification on Long Island in New York. Melisa actively contributes to various organizations and boards. She serves on the board of Preservation Long Island and is Chair of their Education Committee. Melisa sits on the Board of the Huntington African American Museum, the African American Historical Designation Council, and the Huntington Historical Society. Melisa’s dedication to community involvement extends to her involvement in the Energeia Program and Leadership Huntington. Melisa is a member of The Links, Incorporated, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated. Through her membership in these organizations, she actively contributes to their charitable missions and works towards their shared goals. Melisa is an avid poet, essayist, and speaker whose work focuses on social justice, race, history, politics, and literature. She has been married 25 years and lives in Huntington with her husband Reggie, son Xavier, daughter Olivia, and her two cats Nubia and Serenity.
Westbury resident Victoria Jackson, formerly of Huntington, will exhibit African American artifacts from her private collection. Jackson has exhibited her pieces at the Conklin Barn and various other locations around Long Island.
