Third Annual Flag Raising Kicks Off North Carolina’s 20th Annual NC Juneteenth Celebration

Now in its third year, the ceremonial flag raising has become a powerful visual and cultural tradition—uniting local government officials, military honor guards, faith leaders, and the public to honor the end of slavery in the United States and recognize the continued pursuit of Black freedom and achievement.

Honoring History and Those Who Defended It

This year’s ceremony held in Durham, NC will feature members of the Montford Point Marines, the first African Americans to serve in the United States Marine Corps. Trained between 1942 and 1949 in segregated facilities at Montford Point in Jacksonville, NC, more than 20,000 Black Marines paved the way for military integration and civil rights progress. Their presence at this year’s ceremony connects Juneteenth to another critical chapter in the Black American freedom story.

The Durham County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard will partner with Montford Point Marine representatives to raise the Juneteenth flag during the program.

About Juneteenth in North Carolina

Juneteenth, officially recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, commemorates the day—June 19, 1865—when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were secured their freedom by the Union soldiers, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The North Carolina Juneteenth Celebration, now in its 20th year, includes a series of programs and community events across the state throughout June.

For more information, visit: www.spectacularmag.com/juneteenth

(Photo credit: Lawrence Davis)