Although Juneteenth has long been celebrated by many in the African American community in the US, this holiday remains largely unknown to most Americans. Also known as Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, or Emancipation Day, Juneteenth is a day celebrating the emancipation of the slaves in the United States. It’s a poignant opportunity for reflection, pausing to acknowledge the history of slavery in the US. 

What Is Juneteenth? 

The celebration of Juneteenth has its roots in the US Civil War, a divisive conflict between the Northern (Union Army) and Southern (Confederate Army) states in the US. In January 1863, before the war officially ended, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves in Confederate states. However, it wasn’t until two and half years later, on June 19, 1865, that the African American slaves in Galveston, Texas were set free. 

On this historic date, two months after the Confederate army had surrendered, the Union Army rode into Galveston Bay, Texas, a Southern slavery stronghold, and proclaimed freedom from slavery in the state. There, the Union soldiers announced that the war had ended and set about the long process of freeing the one-quarter million formerly enslaved African-Americans throughout Texas. Slavery was officially abolished in the United States in December 1865 with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. 

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While the post-war Reconstruction project was successful in many respects, the liberation of around four million African Americans did not happen overnight. While Juneteenth officially commemorates the emancipation of the slaves, there was and still is work to be done to ensure lasting political and economic equality for African Americans in the US. 

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When and Where Is Juneteenth Celebrated?

If you’re trying to figure out when is Juneteenth, then look no further than the name of the holiday itself! The name Juneteenth comes from a portmanteau of June and nineteen. 

Today, Juneteenth is celebrated annually on June 19th in cities big and small across the United States. It is observed in many states but is not yet a federal holiday. In 1980, Texas became the first state to designate Juneteenth as a holiday. Since then, other states and the District of Columbia have moved to officially recognize the day. As of 2020, all states except for Hawaii, North Dakota, and South Dakota have officially recognized the day in some way. In some states, like Virginia and New York, Juneteenth is a paid holiday for state employees. Several companies also now give their US-based employees the day off as a day of reflection, self-education, volunteering, and understanding. 

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In the days and weeks following May 25, 2020, protests sprang up worldwide after the murder of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis who died at the hands of police. That summer, Juneteenth was embraced in a new way. Demonstrations spread across the United States on Juneteenth 2020, with people pouring into the streets to celebrate the end of slavery 155 years ago and to continue the national crusade against the experience of racial and systemic oppression. At that moment, Juneteenth felt like a moment of celebration and joy amidst nationwide pain and mourning, but also an opportunity to think carefully about what has been or has not been accomplished since 1865. 

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The Colors of Juneteenth

On Juneteenth, many people choose to wear or decorate with the colors of the pan-African flag: red, black, and green. Red stands for blood — both the blood shed by Africans who died in their fight for liberation and the shared blood of the African people. Black represents black people all over the world. Finally, green is the symbol of growth and the natural abundance of Africa.

Some state capitol houses and city buildings fly the Juneteenth flag, a flag designed in 2000 to commemorate the holiday. The flag’s colors are red, white, and blue, but the flag looks a little different from the typical US flag. The flag has a blue block across the top half, red block across the bottom half, and a bursting star in the middle. The inner white star represents the flag of Texas (the “Lone Star State”), where Juneteenth’s story began. The bursting white star outline represents a nova, which is the term that astronomers use to describe the creation of a star, and is indicative of new beginnings and freedoms on the horizon.

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Design and Edit Ideas to Celebrate Juneteenth

Now that you’ve taken time to learn about the history of Juneteenth, it’s time to look for creative and meaningful ways to reflect and celebrate. Juneteenth gives plenty of opportunities for reflection and knowledge sharing. Consider using your creative photo and video skills to make content supporting local organizations that are doing valuable work in your community and supporting black-owned businesses.

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In many communities, Juneteenth is commemorated with parades, Miss Juneteenth beauty pageants, and community gatherings and barbecues. If you want to host your own Juneteenth gathering, it’s easy to make all of the promotional event designs in PicsArt. Here are some examples to get you started:

Juneteenth Party Invitations

Design your own customized Juneteenth party invitation using PicsArt’s suite of easily customizable templates. You can leverage different fonts, create your own stickers, resize the design to work across various email vs social media platform dimensions, and more in just a few clicks. 

Ready to create a Juneteenth party invitation in PicsArt? Here’s how to do it in the mobile app:

1. Open the PicsArt app and tap the plus sign (+) at the bottom of your screen. From there, open a blank canvas or choose from one of the tons of available templates.
2. Utilize the editing tools and available stickers, drawing tools, and effects to bring your graphic design idea to life. The possibilities are endless, so have fun experimenting and trying new things. 
3. Tap the Text tool in the Editor toolbar to add the time and date of your party to the invitation. 
4. Once you’re happy with the final result, click Next then save it to your device by tapping the downward arrow at the top of your screen. Save your design and share it with your friends to spread the word.

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Design a Juneteenth T-Shirt

Now that we know the colors and symbolism of Juneteenth, you can also create a graphic t-shirt design using PicsArt’s photo editing software to wear to your party or give out to your guests. This sticker is a great place to start if you’re looking for Juneteenth graphic design inspiration! Check out how it’s been mocked up on this jean jacket below:

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Make a Protest Sign

Signs and flyers are a great way to simultaneously show off your art skills and your personal philosophies. Even if you aren’t taking to the streets, you can still show your appreciation for Juneteenth by making a beautiful, functional, and well-designed sign to post around town.

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Make your own Juneteenth poster using the Poster Making templates or leverage the flyer maker tools available in PicsArt. In just a few short steps, you can design the perfect Juneteenth poster. Here’s how to do so on the mobile app:

1. Open the PicsArt app and tap the plus sign (+) at the bottom of your screen. From there, open a blank canvas or choose from one of the tons of available templates.
2. Since this is going to be a poster, starting with the right aspect ratio will be key. Under Drawings, tap on Pick Canvas. Then scroll across the top of the screen to pick from a variety of pre-sized dimensions. 1920 X 1080 is good for sign-making. Select a background to work with here if you like or continue on to customize your own. Tap on the pink arrow in the top right to confirm.
3. Tap on the Add icon from the bottom menu bar and select Sticker.
4. From there, you can search for Juneteenth stickers or choose other objects to add. 
5. Tap on the Layers icon in the bottom right corner to open the layers. Tap to select your background layer, and then tap on the paint bucket icon (this will let you fill the layer with a solid color).
6. Choose your background color from the color wheel and tap on the check mark to confirm. Don’t forget to use the Juneteenth colors!
7. Tap on the Text tool to add in any copy. Here you can change fonts, font color, and font size until you have the perfect poster copy. 
8. Once you’re happy with your design, save your design and send it to the printer! It’s that easy!

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