Juneteenth
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union general Gordon Granger read federal orders in Galveston, Texas, that all previously enslaved people in Texas were free. This came more than two months after the end of the Civil War and 2½ years after President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves in the Southern states. On June 19, 1866, the first Juneteenth anniversary celebration happened. Since then, celebrations in certain regions of the United States have continued the tradition of honoring this important day. In 1872, a group of former slaves put together $800 and purchased 10 acres of land in Houston, Texas, for the city’s annual Juneteenth celebrations, and they named the space Emancipation Park, where Juneteenth celebrations are held even now. On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, making Juneteenth the 12th federal holiday. Read more about Juneteenth here.
Why is it important?
Juneteenth marks a date of major significance in American history and shows us that freedom and racial equality have always been a hard-fought battle for black Americans – a battle that continues to this day.It is a reminder that "nobody is free until everybody is free." It should be celebrated as the day when all Americans were liberated and created equal. It should be a day to reflect, learn, and grow as a nation and as a people.
The Grandmother of Juneteenth
Opal Lee, who's from Fort Worth, Texas, sat in the front row when President Biden, signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 17, 2021. This bill recognizes Juneteenth - the celebration to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States - as a federal holiday. The bill passed the House 415-14 after the Senate unanimously passed the legislation. The moment was a lifetime in the making for Lee, a dedicated activist who has spent decades working to get Juneteenth recognized as a national holiday. The cause is exceptionally personal for Lee, whose home was set on fire by white rioters on Juneteenth in 1939.
The Juneteenth Flag
The original Juneteenth flag was created in 1997 by the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation (NJCF) founder, Ben Haith. While the Juneteenth flag has the same colors as the American flag, it is a unique symbol of American freedom and Black history.
The original red, white and blue design later underwent revisions in the 2000s, and the date June 19, 1865 was added to the flag. According to the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, the Juneteenth flag includes an exaggerated star of Texas “bursting with new freedom throughout the land.”
On Tuesday, June 14th, 2022 at 7pm, San Mateo County is hosting a webinar intended to increase awareness and education about the significance of Juneteenth, as well as discuss the topic of housing and why it is important when thinking about Black liberation and freedom for all. If you missed the webinar, it will be available for playback here on the County's YouTube channel. See all Juneteenth 2022 webinar events that are available for playback here on the County's YouTube channel.
Lastly, the California Department of Public Health has virtual backgrounds for your virtual meetings celebrating Juneteenth, as well as other social media graphics free to download.
San Mateo County Health shared these COVID-19 Vaccine Flyers for the month of June with us. All of these standing clinics welcome walk-ins. Let's all do our part to #VaccinateAll58!
Supporting Documents
Juneteenth Proclamation 2023 (1 MB) 
