LANCASTER, Pa. — June 19, 1865, also known as Juneteenth, marks the day when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free.
It is the day that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas found out they had been freed. This news came to them after the Civil War ended, meaning it was two years after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
The proclamation couldn't be enforced in many places in the South until the Civil War ended in 1865.
So, Juneteenth is celebrated as Black Americans' true Independence Day.
This is a holiday that's been recognized by Black Americans for generations, but it was only in 2021 that it became a designated federal holiday.
In central Pennsylvania, several events were held on Wednesday and throughout the week to commemorate Juneteenth.
In Lancaster, Juneteenth flag-raising ceremonies have taken place over the years. And on Wednesday morning around 11 a.m., outside Lancaster City Hall, the flag was raised once again to honor National Freedom Day.
“We need to continue on the legacy of our ancestors and to educate individuals about what Juneteenth stands for and what it’s about," said Blanding Watson, NAACP Lancaster President.
NAACP Lancaster donated the flag to the City of Lancaster. The flag features a white star, with a surrounding starburst outline, on a red and blue background as well as an arching middle line, which NAACP says symbolizes a new era for Black Americans and for all Americans.
After the flag-raising ceremony, there will be a Soul Food Juneteenth Reception and Panel Discussion at Bethel A.M.E Church and Cultural Center from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
NAACP Lancaster shared that the theme was: Celebrating our Roots: Our Journey Continues for Equity, Justice and Inspiration to Action.
The president of NAACP Lancaster, Blanding Watson, told FOX43 the significance of honoring and understanding this holiday.
“It’s important for us to continue these dialogues and discussions to educate our community and also educate our officials as well because there’s still more work to be done, obviously, in many areas or aspects of health, criminal justice, environmental justice and educating our young people and youth, which is a next-generation, so the history is not lost,” Watson said.