Juneteenth, the National Holiday: Here in Buffalo, We Still Fly the Red, Black and Green Flag

The good news is that the Juneteenth observance is now a National Holiday. During the past two weeks, I have been invited to do presentations on Juneteenth and what it means. Many people still do not know the history of Juneteenth. One of the things that I emphasize is that while it is good that the government has recognized Juneteenth with a national Holiday, it must be noted that Juneteenth has been in existence for many years. In Buffalo we have one of the largest Juneteenth festivals in the Nation.

The Juneteenth committee here has worked hard with a volunteer committee for 48 consecutive years. It was first observed on Jefferson Avenue with a two- day festival started by the B.U. I. L. D. organization in 1976. The Juneteenth observance began in the heart of the Black community and started as a grassroots initiative for African Americans to remember that news of the freedom of slaves in Texas did not come automatically with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It took more than two years for enslaved Africans to learn that they were free.

The National Holiday is just icing on the cake be cause Black people have been observing Juneteenth for a very long time. The Juneteenth flag now seen around the country is red, white, and blue with a white star in the middle representing the state of Texas. At the bot tom of the flag are the words January 19, 1865, com memorating that day of freedom. The burst sign around the star is called nova, which is a term from astronomers meaning star. The red, white, and blue is for the U.S.

This flag has really been around for a number of years and used in Texas. It was created by Ben Haith, founder of the Juneteenth committee in Texas. This flag was created in 1997. Several states where Juneteenth is celebrated including here in Buffalo still fly the red, black, and green flag. This flag was given to us by the Honor able Marcus Mosiah Garvey in the 1930’s. The colors are red for the blood that Blacks shed in the struggle for freedom. Black stands for the race of Black people. Green stands for our homeland of Africa. This Columnist continues to fly the red, black, and green flag all the time. You will see it as you pass my home. I fly it in spring, summer, fall, and winter! I always give credit to the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey for giving us this flag designed to remember our history.

I published a book entitled: Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Read, Learn, and Remember. We must never forget our history. The red, black and green flag is scheduled to be raised across from City Hall in Buffalo on Friday, June 7, 2024. The Juneteenth Festival will be held on Saturday, June 15th and Sunday, June 16th inside of the Dr. Martin Luther King Park. For more information about events during this time you can visit the Juneteenth Festival Website.

I want to add one thing that the people of Texas might not know. Many people are aware of the famous song, “the Yellow Rose of Texas.” The Yellow Rose referred to in the song is that of a woman of color. Yet, Texas had over 250,000 enslaved Africans in 1865 when Major Gen eral Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to an nounce that “All Slaves are Free.” There is so much that we do not know about Texas and the history of Texas related to people of color!