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Happy Juneteenth And The History Of Juneteenth
Happy JuneteenthÂ
The flag is the brainchild of activist Ben Haith, founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation (NJCF). Haith created the flag in 1997 with the help of collaborators, and Boston-based illustrator Lisa Jeanne Graf brought their vision to life.
The flag was revised in 2000 into the version we know today, according to the National Juneteenth Observation Foundation. Seven years later, the date “June 19, 1865” was added, commemorating the day that Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and told enslaved African Americans of their emancipation.
For two decades now, communities around the country have held flag-raising ceremonies on Juneteenth in celebration of their freedom.
Find out more about Juneteenth below
ABOUT THE JUNETEENTH FLAG
The red, white and blue represents the American flag, a reminder that slaves and their descendants were and are Americans.
June 19, 1865, represents the day that enslaved black people in Galveston, Texas, became Americans under the law.
Find out more about the flag HERE
WHAT IS JUNETEENTH
On June 19, 1865, enslaved African-Americans in Galveston, Texas, were told they were free. Now, 155 years later, people in cities and towns across the U.S. continue to mark the occasion with celebrations.
Credit…Rodolfo Gonzalez, Austin American-Statesman, via Associated Press
Find out more about what is Juneteenth