06/19/2026
Today is Juneteenth, a day to commemorate when freedom came to enslaved Texans in 1865 - more than two full years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Since then, our communities in Texas and across America have honored those ancestors and the continued pursuit of freedom for all Black people with gatherings, learning events, music and more.
The design of the flag illustrated above was a community effort with Ben Haith of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation and illustrator Lisa Jeanne Graf created in 1997, but Jubilee Day/Juneteenth Day celebrations have existed for a century.
Haith told CNN the idea for the design “just came through me”. As word from the ancestors often does.
The star represents Texas and the freedom of Black people; the burst represents a new beginning; and the arc represents a horizon representing the opportunities and promise ahead for Black people.
In honor of Juneteenth and those who came before, let’s work to build a better now and a brighter future for us.
