Inside the 2025 USA World Vitiligo Day Celebration with Winnie Harlow
Each year, the Global Vitiligo Foundation hosts a weekend event in a city in the U.S. to celebrate World Vitiligo Day, which is recognized on June 25th. This year, the celebration was hosted in partnership with Beautifully Unblemished in sunny Tampa, Florida. And in case you missed it—Winnie Harlow was in attendance. (Yes, you read that right.)
Here’s the scoop on this once-a-year special experience.
About World Vitiligo Day-USA, a 3-day conference
World Vitiligo Day, celebrated each year on June 25th, is marked by celebrations and observations worldwide to raise awareness about the condition and honor the experiences of individuals who live with vitiligo. Each year, the U.S. vitiligo community convenes in a different city for a three-day event presented by the Global Vitiligo Foundation (GVF) and co-hosted by a local support group. This year’s annual conference took place June 27th to June 29th, with more than 100 attendees including people with vitiligo, their families, dermatologists and other advocates.
With the theme “Beyond the Surface: Redefining Vitiligo,” the weekend emphasized a message of looking past what meets the eye to access the strength, inner beauty and resilience within. A “fireside chat” with model and entrepreneur Winnie Harlow and actor Terrence Jenkins offered attendees the chance to connect with some of vitiligo’s most high-profile personalities. The weekend was also jam-packed with educational sessions, community-building, and just plain fun.
Top moments from inside the event
While the entire weekend felt noteworthy to those attending the event—from the new friends met and the questions answered in the dermatology Q&A sessions to the vulnerability of breakout session conversations and more—there are few moments that marked the weekend.
#1 Cuban-inspired drum circle
World Vitiligo Day-USA starts on Friday evening each year. This year, it opened with a festive outdoor reception that set the tone before attendees moved into the conference center for welcome speeches, including a message from Tampa’s Mayor, and the highlight of the night—a drum circle that echoes the Cuban culture of the surrounding area. The interactive experience brought all ages to the circle for an evening of rhythm and dancing.
#2 Motivational speech by Karlowba Adams Powell
A legal expert, model and vitiligo ambassador, Karlowba Adams Powell took the stage to share her inspiring experience with vitiligo and empower attendees to embrace their vitiligo and live courageously. In her words, “Let’s redefine beauty not by what the world says but what we say about ourselves. We are beautiful. We are worthy. We are confident. I challenge you to step out of here and say to yourself, I am beautiful just as I am.”
#3 Fireside Chat with Winnie Harlow and Terrence Jenkins
The buzz-worthy news of the weekend? Winnie Harlow is in the building. Winnie Harlow is one of the most iconic and famous people living with vitiligo today. A supermodel who has graced the covers of fashion magazines and was named one of Forbes’ ‘30 Under 30,’ she’s also a trailblazer for inclusivity and self-acceptance. During the Saturday programming, supermodel and entrepreneur Winnie Harlow joined actor Terrence Jenkins, Beautifully Unblemished Founder Tonja Johnson and Dr. Pearl Grimes for an intimate conversation about life with vitiligo.
#4 Incyte Ingenuity Awards
Each year, Incyte, a biopharmaceutical company, hosts an awards program for the vitiligo community that grants funding to two innovative projects supporting vitiligo and recognizes three individuals who are driving innovations within the community. This year’s winners were:
2024 Incyte Ingenuity Awards in Vitiligo™ Recipients
- Up to $35,000 Award: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s “Barriers and Facilitators to Psychosocial Support as an Integral Aspect of Vitiligo Patient Comprehensive Care”
- Up to $100,000 Award: VitFriend’s “Legislative and Advocacy Training Weekend”
2024 Vitiligo Innovators Program™ Recipients
- Valarie Molyneaux, Community Innovator
- Dr. Richard Huggins, Healthcare Innovator
- Dr. Maggi Ahmed, Rising Innovator
The 2026 World Vitiligo Day-USA event will take place in North Carolina in June 2026. More details are yet to be announced. To learn more about the Global Vitiligo Foundation, visit https://globalvitiligofoundation.org/.
Thank you to the Global Vitiligo Foundation for making it possible for Living Dappled to attend the 2025 Annual Scientific Symposium.
