(Gallery) Official Juneteenth Flag Now Flying At Durham County Courthouse
DURHAM, NC— A new flag now waves in front of the Durham County Courthouse honoring Juneteenth.
Monday (June 5), Durham leaders held a flag-raising ceremony that kicks off Juneteenth celebrations in Durham.
CBS 17’s Rod Carter emceed the event which was attended by Durham city and county leaders, law enforcement, and the Buffalo Soldier re-enactors. Attorney Larry Hall, former Secretary of NC’s Department of Military and Veteran’s Affairs told ‘The Juneteenth Story’ dispelling misinformation about the history of the holiday. The three Freedom Documents were presented with Sen. Mike Woodard (D-22) reading the Emancipation Proclamation, Sen. Natalie Murdock (D-20) read the 13th Amendment, and General Order #3 was read by Dr. Jay Augustine, Pastor of St. Joseph AME Church in Durham.
“The Fourth of July… that flag represents the freedom of the land… this flag represents the freedom of the people,” said Phyllis Coley, CEO/Publisher of Spectacular Magazine, the organizer of the event.
The ceremony kicks off the annual North Carolina Juneteenth Celebration which takes place June 17 and 18.
“Juneteenth means to me that, it’s a day of celebration, it has always been a day of celebration but it’s so much about telling our history, for me, it’s about making sure people understand our history and the true history because it’s a part of the flag-raising ceremony today,” said Coley.
The flag will fly at the Durham County Courthouse until Juneteenth which is on June 19th.
NC Official Juneteenth Flag-Raising Ceremony Highlights (Photos: Lawrence Davis III)
Published May 31, 2023
NC Official Juneteenth Flag-Raising Ceremony Takes Place On June 5 In Durham
DURHAM, NC – In honor of the federally-recognized holiday of Juneteenth, there will be an NC Official Juneteenth Flag-Raising Ceremony on Monday, June 5, 2023, with the Ceremony beginning at 11:30 am and the flag-raising at noon. Spectacular Magazine, Triangle Cultural Awareness Foundation, and fellow North Carolinians will be present to experience this historic event at the Durham County Courthouse (510 S. Dillard Street). It is not only an important part of Durham County’s history but across the nation, there will be flag-raising ceremonies recognizing the ending of chattel slavery in the U.S. and paving the way for Juneteenth to become a nationally-recognized holiday. This ceremony is the kick-off of the Annual 18th NC Juneteenth Celebration that takes place in Durham, NC on June 17 – 18.
Buffalo Soldiers’ historical re-enactors will hoist the Juneteenth flag alongside Durham County Sheriff’s Honor Guards proceeded with a ceremonial prayer by Durham Mayor Pro-Tempore Mark-Anthony Middleton and a song by national jazz recording artist Lois Deloatch. Attorney Larry Hall, former Secretary of North Carolina’s Department of Military and Veteran Affairs, will preside over “The Juneteenth Story” portion of the Ceremony which will include the public reading of the three Freedom Documents (Emancipation Proclamation, 13th Amendment, General Order #3) by local elected officials and clergy. CBS17 News Anchor Rod Carter will serve as the Master of Ceremonies.
Community members and visitors will be able to view the official Juneteenth Flag flying from June 5 – June 19 at the Durham County Courthouse, which leads up to the annual celebrations across the country. This is an opportunity for elected officials, community leaders, business owners, law enforcement, nonprofit organizations, educators, advocates, and regional media to show their support for this monumental event.
Spectacular Magazine founder Phyllis Coley serves as the NC State Juneteenth Director under the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF), the organization responsible for legislation that culminated in Congress passing and President Joe Biden signing the Juneteenth National Independence Day Bill on June 17, 2021. Continuing to provide proper context and narrative of Juneteenth National Independence Day is a primary objective of the NJOF.
“The NC Official Juneteenth Flag-Raising Ceremony will bring more awareness of the history behind the efforts to end slavery in the United States and the significance of the Juneteenth flag. Since 2004, when I first started working with state elected officials to get legislation passed to recognize Juneteenth, I have learned so much about our history. Now I have an opportunity to bring this historical event to my home town. I am honored that the Durham County Commissioners and the Durham County Sheriff were so accommodating when I reached out.”
The NC Official Juneteenth Flag-Raising Ceremony is free and open to the public.
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