Celebrating Freedom! JUNE 19, 2021 Juneteenth is a holiday celebrating the ending of slavery in the U.S. WHAT IS JUNETEENTH? The name comes from combining the words June and nineteenth. The day is also called Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day and Freedom Day. JUNETEENTH Even though President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. HISTORY 1, 1863, not every state, territory and area followed his orders at the time. Juneteenth happened 2 years after the proclamation was signed. June 19, 1865 was the day when many who “The people of Texas are informed were still enslaved learned for the first time that, in accordance with a that they were free, which was announced proclamation from the Executive of in Galveston, TX: the United States, all slaves are free.” CELEBRATING After Juneteenth, formerly enslaved people immediately sought to reunify FREEDOM their families, establish schools, run for political office, push legislation and Juneteenth sue slaveholders for compensation. Celebration 1900 We celebrate their FREEDOM. We celebrate their RESILIENCE. We celebrate their WILL. We celebrate their SPIRIT. JUNETEENTH The Juneteenth Flag was the concept of activist TODAY Ben Haith, founder of the National Juneteenth Now a Federal and State Holiday Celebration Foundation. He created it in 1997 with the On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed the help of collaborators, and illustrator Lisa Jeanne Graf. Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, THE COLORS red, white and making it a federal holiday. blue represent the American “We are gathered here in a house built flag, a reminder that slaves by enslaved people. We are footsteps and their descendants were away from where President Abraham and are Americans. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. We have come far, and THE STAR represents Texas (the Lone Star we have far to go. But today is a day State) but also represents the freedom of of celebration. It is not only a day of African Americans in all 50 states. pride. It's also a day for us to reaffirm and rededicate ourselves to action.” THE ARC across the width of the flag represents a new horizon: the opportunities and promises VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS that lay ahead for African Americans. In 2021, House Bill 554, introduced by Rep. THE BURST around the star is inspired by a Larry Selders, designates the third Saturday nova, a term that astronomers use to mean a in June as Juneteenth Day marking it as a new star. This represents a new beginning for legal holiday. It was signed into law as African Americans. Act 128 on June 10, 2021. HAPPY urbanleaguela.org.