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Black El Paso Voice

All Things Black in El Paso

Culture

Juneteenth El Paso | 2023 Celebration

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Juneteenth 2023 | June 17 - Nations Tobin Park | Photo: Barb Wilson

While we are gathering the immense amount of highlights from Saturday’s 2023 Juneteenth Celebration, we are truly honored to have been sponsored and supported by sponsors, volunteers, vendors, and supporters.

Thank you to El Paso Parks & Recreation, District 2 City Rep Annello, City of El Paso, Fly Events Promotions,
El Paso HRAM, El Paso Electric, ZTEX Construction, Allstate Insurance, Gecko Bros., FBI El Paso, SAMS Club, Gecko Bros., El Paso Celebration Kool & The Gang Tribute Band, Ashley Johnson, Abeni Janae, Dr. Brenda Russell, Pastor Michael Grady, Tina Smiley-Overton, Brandy Wyche, Fedora Johnson, Shonique Tornes, Curtis Smith, Dianna Williams, Duwan Mason, Barbara Wilson, Sherry Leapheart, Dee Tillman, Sadiya Lucas, Jacqueline Dunn-Moodie, David Wedlock, Vicki Scott, Anna Harris-Howell,  Thank you to everyone stepped in to make this event a true complement to the efforts to increase awareness about the Black experience in the United States of America, and the importance of celebrating Black Freedom.

Juneteenth Freedom Day isn’t a one day observance. Juneteenth is a year-round lived experience that will be celebrated through educating our community about our cultural heritage and the importance of its inclusion in the borderland. 

Humanizing slavery is the purpose. Our ancestors were denied rights that we enjoy today; what we do now directly reflects their resilience. 

Thank you to the El Paso community for coming out to share in a safe, fun-filled experience.

 

Special thanks to El Paso HRAM for their continuous support of Black El Paso Voice and Juneteenth El Paso. Their unwavering dedication to community service is to be emulated.

Juneteenth: The Red, The White, The Blue

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The Juneteenth flag was created in 1997 by activist Ben Haith aka Boston Ben, founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation (NJCF). Boston-based illustrator Lisa Jeanne Graf brought Haith’s vision to life. Also contributing were Verlene Hines, Azim, and Eliot Design. The Juneteenth flag was revised in 2000 to include “June 19, 1865,” the day enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were freed.

The Juneteenth flag is a powerful symbol of freedom and justice for Black Americans, and it has become a symbol of Black emancipation in the United States of North America, the journey our ancestors have taken, and the continuous journey we are taking. We have work to do.

ABOUT THE COLORS: WE ARE FREE U.S. AMERICANS

Mr. Haith was intentional about every aspect of the creation.

  • The arc on the Juneteenth flag represents a new horizon, meaning fresh opportunities and promising futures for Black Americans.
  • The star represents Texas – Juneteenth started in Galveston. It represents the freedom of Black Americans in all 50 states.
  • The burst (zig-zag shape surrounding the star) represents Black Americans’ journey to achieve freedom. Inspired by a nova, the burst symbol represents the term astronomers use to mean a new star – in essence, a new beginning.
  • The colors of the flag represent the United States of America. The flag is a reminder that enslaved people and the descendants of enslaved people were AND ARE Americans. Those colors are a testament that Americans are committed to striving for actualization of liberty and justice for all.

Sometimes, the “adopted” Pan-African flag represents the dispersed diaspora globally. The Juneteenth flag represents the freedom of enslaved U.S. Black people and their descendants.

Proceeds benefit our efforts in the community to educate the community about the history of Black America, and to foster a more equitable and inclusive society on the border.