Southern California celebrates Juneteenth

LOS ANGELES - Juneteenth is the celebration of June 19, 1865: A day known as Emancipation Day for enslaved Africans in America. The first celebration of this day was June 19, 1866 celebrating the first anniversary of this original federal mandate.

This may be confusing to some, as President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, two years prior to the birth of today’s holiday. However, while the Emancipation Proclamation did declare that all slaves in Confederate states “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free,” the dark truth is that many Black people remained enslaved both in border states and states newly under Union control.

Then, Federal troops led by General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, ultimately taking control of the state and ensuring the freedom of all enslaved people there.

In 1866, the newly freed men in Texas organized the first-ever Juneteenth Celebration, then called “Jubilee Day,” starting the yearly tradition of food, music, and prayer. In 1979, Texas made Juneteenth an official holiday. Following public outrage over the murder of George Floyd, President Joe Biden declared Juneteenth a federal holiday in June 2021. In the same month, Congress also passed The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.

The Flag

The City of West Hollywood hosted a Flag-Raising Ceremony in recognition of Juneteenth on Friday, June 16, 2023, at West Hollywood City Hall, the WeHo Times reported. The event was lead by Community Programs Coordinator, Jasmine Duckworth. Speakers included Council Member Lauren Meister who was the only member of the West Hollywood City Council at the event, Public Safety Commission Chair Todd Hallman, and the main speaker was Friendly House Executive Director, Christina Simos

The flag, which is half blue and half red, features a white starburst in the center, and the date, June 19, 19965, across its right third, is the 1997 design of anti-crime activist and founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation, Ben Haith

The date, however, was not a part of the original design but was added years later in 2000.

According to Haith, the star in the center represents Texas, aka the “lone star state.” The burst surrounding the star represents what astronomers call a “nova” or, contextually, a “new beginning” for Black people. The colors red, white, and blue mirror the American flag.