Original photo by MargJohnsonVA/ Shutterstock
Juneteenth is a more recent addition to most American calendars, and the first new federal holiday in nearly four decades. So it might come as a surprise that the celebration already has a flag of its own, and one that’s been around for more than 25 years. Designed back in 1997, the flag came about at a time when advocates were rallying for the holiday — which celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. — to gain federal recognition. In the years since, the design (originally crafted by activist Ben Haith) has undergone minor changes but remains heavy with symbolism. The banner’s solid white star represents freedom and nods to Texas (aka the Lone Star State) for its role in the creation of Juneteenth; on June 19, 1865, enslaved people were officially emancipated in Texas more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation to abolish slavery in Confederate states. Also featured on the flag is a white sunburst, portraying new beginnings. Both stars sit atop an arching blue and red horizon that signifies optimism for the future. The three-toned flag purposely uses the same colors as the American flag as a reminder that formerly enslaved people and their descendants are Americans, too, despite the country’s history of unequal rights.
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It's a fibJuneteenth honors a date when enslaved Americans in Texas were liberated, but it wasn’t the true ending of slavery. Despite Lincoln’s famous decree, some areas (such as Delaware and Kentucky) permitted the practice until the 13th Amendment ending slavery was ratified in December 1865.
Juneteenth’s official flag is raised alongside the Stars and Stripes above government buildings, on college campuses, and in front yards around the country, but it also sometimes appears next to the Pan-African flag at reunions, block parties, and other Juneteenth festivities. Introduced in 1920 by a group led by political activist Marcus Garvey, the three-striped banner of the Pan-African flag is identifiable by its horizontal red, black, and green bands, which represent the blood, people, and growth of the African diaspora. Both flags are meant as inspiring symbols of unity and remembrance — ideas worth celebrating on America’s second Independence Day.
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______ was the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday, in 1980.
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Texas was the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday, in 1980.
The Emancipation Proclamation is rarely on display.
The United States’ most famous founding documents are relatively easy to see in person. Take the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, for example, which are on permanent display at the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C. But despite its historical significance, the original Emancipation Proclamation is seldom showcased. That’s because the handwritten, double-sided document hasn’t aged well (physically). Archivists attribute its deterioration to the paper used back in 1863, which hasn’t withstood time as well as some older documents such as the Constitution, which were penned on animal-skin parchments. In addition, the U.S. Department of State had custody of the original Emancipation Proclamation until transferring it to the National Archives in 1936, by which point it had sustained considerable damage from handling and light exposure. Today, the Emancipation Proclamation is stored in an environmentally controlled vault and viewable on rare occasions; the pages never leave storage all at once, and are always displayed under extremely low light for short periods of time to maximize their life span.
Nicole Garner Meeker is a writer and editor based in St. Louis. Her history, nature, and food stories have also appeared at Mental Floss and Better Report.
