Juneteenth

The Juneteenth flag is a symbol for the Juneteenth holiday in the United States. The first version was created in 1997 by activist Ben Haith and that early version was displayed in 1997. The flag was first flown in 2000. The colors and symbols on the flag are representative of freedom and the end of slavery. The date on the flag represents that of General Order No. 3 issued in Galveston, Texas in 1865. In 2020 and 2021, many states began recognizing Juneteenth by flying the flag over their State Capitol buildings, especially after Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday by President Joe Biden in June 2021.
==Design==
The design is the flag's uppper half being blue and lower half is red. The colors are divided by a horizontal arch. In the center is a white outlined twelve-pointed star, with a white five-pointed star inside of it. The date "June 19, 1865" is shown vertically on the fly.
=== Symbolism ===
The five-pointed star refers both to Texas (nicknamed the "Lone Star State") and to the "freedom of African Americans in all 50 states". Surrounding it is a nova (or "new star") representing a new beginning for all.
Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of June 1, 1863, declared that all slaves in the rebel Confederate States were free. The State of Texas rejoined the Union with the end of the Civil War on April 9, 1865. On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived at the port of Galveston, Texas and announced that slavery had been ended with General Order No. 3. The Juneteenth flag has the date of June 19, 1865 displayed on it.
One year later, freed slaves in Texas celebrated the first Juneteenth on June 19, and it was called "Jubilee Day".
== The Pan-African flag and Juneteenth ==
Many in the African American community have adopted the Pan-African flag to represent Juneteenth. The Pan-African flag is sometimes referred to as the black liberation flag and so it is often displayed in conjunction or in place of the Juneteenth flag. The Pan-African flag has been in use since 1920. The difference between the two flags is that the Juneteenth flag was created for a single holiday, and the Pan African flag is representative of African displacement.
== Previous flag ==
The previous Juneteenth flag is the same as the current Juneteenth flag, but without the date on the fly. It was first created in 1997 by Ben Haith and was adopted in 2000.
Category:United States Organizations
Category:Blue
Category:Red
Category:White
Category:Five-pointed stars
Category:Star
Category:Lettering
Category:Proportions 3-5