The Juneteenth flag features 3 important symbols. Here's what they mean, according to the flag's creator.

• The Juneteenth flag, created by activist Ben Haith in 1997, has become a symbol to celebrate Black emancipation in the US.
• The flag features 3 symbols — a five-point star, a bursting star, and an arc — which have specific meanings, according to Haith.

The Juneteenth flag — a banner with a bursting star — is being flown across the US on June 19, a celebration to commemorate Black emancipation and the freeing of 250,000 enslaved people in Texas.

The initial flag was created in 1997 by activist Ben Haith, with the help of artist Lisa Jeanne Graf.

The flag, which has been revised twice since then, features three symbols in red, white, and blue, and the words: "June 19, 1865." The date refers to the origins of Juneteenth, when federal Union troops rode into Galveston, Texas to ensure the emancipation of last enslaved African Americans.

Haith founded the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation, an organization that campaigned for the recognition of Juneteenth as a federal holiday. While Juneteenth has been celebrated since 1866, it was only recognized as a federal holiday in June 2021.

"I just thought it was important, and the next thing I knew, it became a project," Haith told the Boston Globe.

The creator felt strongly about using red, white, and blue

Haith said in an interview with Capital B Atlanta that the tri-colors of the Juneteenth flag — red, white, and blue — was a deliberate choice. Using the same colors as the Star-Spangled Banner is a reminder that enslaved Black Americans were first and foremost American, he said.

"For so long, our ancestors weren't considered citizens of this country," Haith told Capital B Atlanta. "They just were deprived of being recognized as citizens. So I thought it was important that the colors portray red, white and blue which we see in the American flag."

The 3 design elements that reflect the history of Juneteenth

Here's what the symbols on the flag mean, according to Haith:

• The five-point star: According to CNN, Haith said the five-point star represents the state of Texas, where, in 1865, Union soldiers told the last remaining enslaved African Americans that they were free, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It also represents the freedom of African Americans in every US state, Haith said.
• The bursting star: Haith told Capital B Atlanta the outline of the star was inspired by a nova — an explosion in space that produces what looks to be a new star. It also represents a "new beginning" for the African American people who were freed in Galveston, per CNN.
• The arc: The curve that divides the red and blue colors of the flag represents a "new horizon," Haith said. It also represents the "opportunities and promise" in the futures of Black Americans, according to CNN.

The other flag you might see today is red, black, and green

Historically, the flag most commonly waved on Juneteenth is the red, black, and green Pan-African flag, according to Oprah Daily. The flag was created in 1920 to represent Africans around the world, according to NPR.

Both flags are symbols of "pride and freedom" for Black Americans, but serve different purposes. Tim Goler, research director at the Center for African American Public Policy, told USA TODAY he appreciates that the Juneteenth flag emphasizes people descended from enslaved people are Americans. But he believes "the Pan-African Flag really is the most appropriate flag for Juneteenth" because there is still deep-seated inequities in the US.

Haith said the Juneteenth flag represents all Black Americans from the entire history of the US.

"When we celebrate, we're celebrating for them, and we're celebrating for the future of our people," Haith told Capital B Atlanta. "The flag represents the people of the past, it represents us, and it will represent the people in the future."