On June 12th, the GHS Racial Equity and Advocacy Club will be hosting a flag-raising ceremony in celebration of Juneteenth on June 19th.
Juneteenth is defined as the date all enslaved Americans in former Confederate states were freed from bondage, and are honored by a blue flag with a red curve, and a white starburst pattern. The star represents Texas, the last state in which enslaved peoples were freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. The curve included in the flag represents the opportunities and promises on the horizon for Black Americans. The inclusion of the red, white, and blue mimics the American flag, a reminder to future generations that they were and always will be Americans. While Black Americans are still fighting for equality and justice today, the flag and holiday are a symbol of the continuous commitment of people in the United States to do better and live up to the American ideal of liberty and justice for all.
Juneteenth became a Massachusetts holiday on July 24th, 2020 and a federal holiday June 17th, 2021, signed into law by President Biden. The flag was created in 1997 and revised in 2000 by Activist Ben Haith, founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation.
Join the Racial Equity and Advocacy group at 11:30 outside the main entrance to show your support while the official Juneteenth Flag is raised here at Gloucester High School.
