Juneteenth flag explainer
Juneteenth is one of the many American holidays that celebrates freedom. But this one is a little different from the rest. Juneteenth celebrates a different kind of freedom: that of the formerly enslaved people of the United States. And it even has its own flag.
Its colors are red, white and blue—based on the colors of the American flag. The colors contain an arch across the middle that stands for a new horizon—something that the newly freed slaves must have felt with all of their heart.
The star represents the lone star of the Texas flag, which is where Juneteenth has its origins. It was in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 where some of the last of enslaved African-Americans learned of their freedom in 1865. The Emancipation Proclamation took effect two years earlier, but it took time for the news to reach Galveston. The delivery of this message is the foundation of Juneteenth.
The star also represents the freedom of African-Americans throughout the 50 states of the U.S.
The outlying starburst signifies a nova—or a new star. It represents the new beginning for formerly enslaved people, who always were, and are, Americans.