Bellingham raises the Juneteenth flag with reflection, song and ceremony
City officials and members of the Bellingham community raised the Juneteenth flag Monday afternoon in a brief ceremony outside City Hall.
Also called Freedom Day, Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when the last slaves of the Confederacy learned that they were free in Galveston, Texas. It became an official national and city holiday in 2021.
“Juneteenth is a time for celebration but it is also a time for reflection,” Whatcom County Sheriff Donnell Tanksley told about 30 people gathered at the pavilion in front of City Hall, where six flagpoles fly Old Glory. “It reminds us of the painful legacy of slavery. We are reminded that freedom was delayed for some, and the journey toward freedom and equity does continue for many.”
With City Councilman Skip Williams on electric piano and Fire Department Division Chief of EMS Scott Ryckman on sax, the crowd sang “Lift Ev’ry Voice,” and “Wade in the Water,” songs that gained national prominence at rallies after the murder of George Floyd.
The Juneteenth flag was created in 1997, using the colors of the American flag, according to the National Museum of African American History.
“The 5-point star is a symbol for Texas (the Lone Star State), Texas is where the Juneteenth holiday started, They added the big star to tell about the spread of freedom,” the museum website said.
This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
