Kickoff 2025 California Flag Raising Ceremony - Press Conference

Media Contact: Michael Harris,
NJOF -California - 910-539-0243

National Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony
Noon, Monday, June 2, 2025
City Hall - Sacramento
9th and I Street
Downtown Sacramento

Globally, since June 2021, Juneteenth is our newest Title 5 US Federal Holiday.

Come experience our inaugural City of Sacramento Flag Raising Ceremony that seeks to help align our City of Sacramento with celebrations of freedom around the world.

Our official Juneteenth flag was created in 1997 by educator and activist Ben Haith in Boston, Mass by utilizing the colors and symbols representative of burst of freedom achieved on the battlefields to a new horizon that occurred on June 19, 1865.

Here in our Capitol City or Sacramento, seat of authority for the State of California, Juneteenth is not an official paid holiday for employees.

2 1/2+ years late, after the June 2021 passage of Congressional legislation signed into law establishing Juneteenth as a Title 5 US Federal Holiday.

“Patience is a virtue, is a soft gentle reminder from my late grandmothers wisdom” that offers a very stark contrast to the bloody fierce battles to enforce President Abraham Lincoln essential War Executive Order known as the Emancipation Proclamation, states Michael Harris, Chair NJOF- California.

Our 160th Anniversary of Juneteenth kicks off at our City Hall of Sacramento seeking alignment with our hard fought journey to establish a Title 5 US Juneteenth Federal Holiday.

Newly elected, City of Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty may soon embrace and schedule an agenda item that adds to the City Holiday Ordinance Juneteenth as a paid holiday for City of Sacramento employees.

The City of Sacramento will then send a strong message to the growing business community throughout the Sacramento Region to join Los Angeles, San Diego, Oakland, San Francisco, Rancho Cordova and West Sacramento cities that offer an official paid Juneteenth Holiday to all employees.

At some point we will collectively embrace and preserve our authentic Sacramento regional Journey From Slavery to Freedom, acknowledging and showcasing the Slave Auction blocks in Old Sacramento just a few short blocks from Sacramento City Hall.

Everyone is invited to witness a small piece of history this 175th Anniversary year of the incorporation of the City of Sacramento.

Freedom is never free… each generation must help manifest our collective journey to form a more perfect Union.

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