Juneteenth Reflections From Leyna Bloom, Tunde Oyeneyin and Dominique Ruotolo

We recently chatted with the trio of women about what the day means to them.

Leyna Bloom, Tunde Oyeneyin and Dominique Ruotolo / Santiago Felipe/Getty Images, Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images and Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images

Today is Juneteenth, an occasion that recognizes the ending of slavery in the United States. June 19 was established as a federal holiday four years ago, and 2025 marks 160 years since Union troops reached Galveston, Texas, freeing enslaved people in the state nearly two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Today, consider taking a pause to recognize the importance of equality and justice in our society and what you can do to continue the fight while celebrating people from all walks of life.

Juneteenth holds important meaning to not only the African American community, but many diverse groups worldwide. We chatted with several women connected to the SI Swimsuit brand to hear how they are choosing to honor the importance of Juneteenth today and every day.

Leyna Bloom, SI Swimsuit legend

Leyna Bloom was photographed by Amanda Pratt in Dominica. Top by Ema Savahl Couture. / Amanda Pratt/Sports Illustrated

The Filipina model, actress and activist believes that Black history and culture should be honored every day, not just recognized on occasions like Juneteenth. Bloom’s hope is that marginalized groups be celebrated 365 days a year.

“I cannot just take one day out of the year to celebrate something,” she says. “This is something that I dream. This is something that I go to sleep as. This is something I wake up as. And I think once we normalize that existence and not just say, O.K., well this day we’re gonna celebrate this ... We just need people from all different walks of lives in every single sphere, in every single space so it can just be seen and it can just be fully represented. I really just want to be an embodiment of that strength every day of my life, not just for that particular day.”

Tunde Oyeneyin, 2025 Swim Search finalist

Tunde Oyeneyin / John Parra/Getty Images/Sports Illustrated

The Peloton instructor is incorporating her love of fitness into Juneteenth by dropping a 30-minute ride with fellow athlete Alex Toussaint called “Cookout” today.

“We got like, you know, cookout jams, if you were gonna go to the cookout,” she explains of the themed ride. “Whether you are the auntie, the uncle, the friend, the neighbor, the cousin that gets into too much trouble, there’s a song on the playlist that is sure to get everyone moving their body. So I’m really excited about that.”

Oyeneyin, who plans to spend the day surrounded by friends, is grateful to have a public platform to bring awareness to the things she believes in, like celebrating her Nigerian heritage.

“I’m lucky that I have a space that people come to with love, not with anger,” she adds. “I wouldn’t say that I wake up and try to be a role model to any person, I just wake up every day and I try to give, do and deliver my best. I try to live in purpose, and if people are inspired by that or if people move with me as a result of that, then to me, it’s a reason to continue showing up in this space.”

Dominique Ruotolo, 2025 Swim Search Finalist

Dominique Ruotolo / Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated

A track and field athlete, Ruotolo found community at USC through a club called Dsociety, which celebrates Black culture and is composed of individuals from regions like Nigeria, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Sedan and others. Ruotolo herself has a unique background, as she was born in Switzerland and raised across France, Cameroon and California. She’ll be celebrating Juneteenth with her fellow club members this year, who get together to celebrate with barbecue and catch up on life.

“The way I grew up, especially being half Italian and Cameroonian and light skinned, it feels like you don’t know what group to be in and you’re half of one, so it’s hard to find a place,” she says. “Dsociety has helped a lot because we all look at each other as one, and we all celebrate each other’s culture. So, I feel like I struggled with that a lot with my hair and the color of my skin and being in a more predominant white area when I was growing up, so I just love being around and celebrating with Dsociety because it just feels like we’re all the same. It doesn’t matter. We’re all embracing everything.”