Juneteenth flag created in 1997, designed to represent Black American freedom
8 reported
According to a Vox article republished for Juneteenth 2026, the Juneteenth flag was created in 1997 by community organizer and activist Ben Haith, known as “Boston Ben.” Haith told Capital B Atlanta that after learning about Juneteenth, he felt it needed a symbol. Illustrator Lisa Jeanne Graf responded to a newspaper ad and finalized the flag in 2000. The flag uses red, white, and blue — the colors of the American flag — as a deliberate reminder that Black Americans descended from enslaved people are American. The star in the center represents Texas as the Lone Star state and the freedom of enslaved citizens. The outline around the star was inspired by a nova, symbolizing a new beginning, and the arch dividing the red and blue represents a “new horizon.” Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed it into law, following demands for racial progress after the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, of which Haith is a member, has campaigned for national recognition since its founding in 1997.
What’s reported
Ben Haith created the Juneteenth flag in 1997.
Illustrator Lisa Jeanne Graf finalized the flag in 2000.
The flag uses red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag.
The star represents Texas and the freedom of enslaved citizens.
The outline around the star was inspired by a nova, representing a new beginning.
The arch represents a “new horizon.”
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed it into law.
The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation has campaigned for national recognition since 1997.
Key figures
Ben Haith (community organizer, activist, flag creator)
Lisa Jeanne Graf (illustrator)
Steven Williams (president of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation)
Theo Foster (professor of African American history at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette)
President Joe Biden (signed Juneteenth into law as a federal holiday in 2021)
Sources: vox.com
