Juneteenth flag facts for kids
| Use | Commemorating the Juneteenth holiday |
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| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Adopted |
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| Design | Upper half is blue and lower half is red. Colors are divided by a horizontal arch. In the center is a white star which is outlined. |
| Designed by |
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The Juneteenth flag is a special symbol for the Juneteenth holiday in the United States. This holiday celebrates the day when the last enslaved African Americans in Texas finally learned they were free. The first version of the flag was created in 1997 by an activist named Ben Haith. The flag we see today was first flown in the year 2000. Its colors and symbols stand for freedom and the end of slavery. The date on the flag reminds everyone of General Order No. 3, which was announced in Galveston, Texas in 1865. In 2020 and 2021, many states started flying the Juneteenth flag over their capitol buildings. This happened especially after Juneteenth became a federal holiday in June 2021, signed into law by President Joe Biden.
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Understanding the Juneteenth Flag's Design
The Juneteenth flag was designed in 1997 by an activist named Ben Haith, also known as Boston Ben. He showed the first version of the flag in June 1997 in Boston. A newspaper described it as "A banner adorned with sunbursts and flaming candles." The flag's current design was finished and copyrighted by Haith in 2000. Lisa Jeanne Graf also helped fine-tune the flag's design.
The flag uses the colors red, white, and blue, just like the American flag. In the middle of the flag, there is a bright, bursting star. A curved line, like an arch, runs horizontally through the center of the flag. This arch represents a new horizon and new chances for Black people.
What the Symbols Mean
The star in the center has a special meaning. It refers to Texas, which is known as the "Lone Star state." It also stands for the freedom of African Americans in all 50 states. The star is surrounded by a "nova," which is like a new star. This nova represents a fresh start for everyone.
The colors also have deep meaning. The blue part of the flag is above the arch, and the red part is below. The president of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, Steve Williams, explains that the red color below the arch symbolizes the ground. It reminds us of the struggles and sacrifices made by African Americans for the United States. The red, white, and blue colors together show that all enslaved people and their descendants are truly American. In 2007, the date "June 19, 1865" was added to the flag. This date marks when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that slavery had ended with General Order No. 3.
One year later, formerly enslaved people in Texas celebrated the first Juneteenth on June 19. They called it "Jubilee Day."
History of the Juneteenth Flag
The Juneteenth flag is the most recognized symbol of the Juneteenth holiday. It was first flown in the year 2000 at Roxbury Heritage State Park in Boston. Ben Haith was the one who started this flag-raising tradition in Boston.
Starting in 2020, many state governors in the United States began ordering the Juneteenth flag to be raised over their capital buildings on June 19. For example, in 2020, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers ordered the flag to be flown for the entire month of June. When the flag was raised in Wisconsin, state senator Lena Taylor and the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus celebrated by raising their fists. Also in 2020, the flag was raised over the Cincinnati City Hall. In Illinois, Governor Pritzker ordered the flag to be flown above the Illinois State Capitol on June 19, 2021. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed a law making Juneteenth a federal holiday.
Beyond government buildings, other places have also flown the flag. In 2020, the Boston Red Sox baseball team raised the Juneteenth flag over Fenway Park. The University of Nebraska also celebrated Juneteenth by flying the flag alongside their Nebraska flag in 2020.
The Pan-African Flag and Juneteenth
Many people in the African American community also use the Pan-African flag to represent Juneteenth. The Pan-African flag is sometimes called the black liberation flag. It is often displayed with or instead of the Juneteenth flag. The Pan-African flag has been used since 1920. The main difference between the two flags is that the Juneteenth flag was created for a specific holiday, while the Pan-African flag represents the wider history and experiences of African people around the world.
