The meaning of the Juneteenth flag

This is the second blog in our series about how the Latham Centers community is coming together in celebration of Juneteenth. In the days leading up to June 19th we’ll see more of the Juneteenth flags waving on flag posts around the country. What does the flag mean?*

The Star:

“The white star in the center of the flag has a dual meaning.

For one, it represents Texas, the Lone Star State. It was in Galveston in 1865 where Union soldiers informed the country’s last remaining enslaved people that, under the Emancipation Proclamation issued two years earlier, they were free.

But the star also goes beyond Texas, representing the freedom of African Americans in all 50 states.”

The Burst:

“On the Juneteenth flag, this [burst] represents a new beginning for the African Americans of Galveston and throughout the land.”

The Arc:

“The curve that extends across the width of the flag represents a new horizon: the opportunities and promise that lay ahead for black Americans.”

The Colors:

“The red, white and blue represent the American flag, a reminder that slaves and their descendants were and are Americans.”

Information on the Juneteenth flag was borrowed from https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/19/us/freedom-day-juneteenth-flag-meaning-trnd/index.html

 

 

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Archives