Community members are invited to join the City of Port Arthur and Shane Sinegal, Precinct 3 Commissioner, at the Jefferson County Sub-Courthouse to raise the Juneteenth Flag at 525 Lakeshore Drive, Port Arthur, TX, on Thursday, June 08, 2023, at 10:30 am. 

Every year Commissioner Michael Shane Sinegal’s Office recognizes Juneteenth as the day slavery finally ended in the United States. June 19, 1865, is when the last group of enslaved people was informed of their liberation in Texas, two and a half years after the implementation of the Emancipation Proclamation. The flag is raised early in June to signal that June is a month of freedom for those gone before us and that Juneteenth is now recognized as a federal holiday.

Juneteenth (June 19th) is a day to appreciate the Black and African American experience. It is a time to celebrate the inclusion of all races, ethnicities, and nationalities in our community. 

The Juneteenth Flag uses the same colors as the United States Flag – red, white, and blue – to show that formerly enslaved people and their descendants are free Americans, too. The arc on the flag represents a new opportunity, and the burst that outlines the star signifies a new beginning for all. 

Let us support the Juneteenth Flag Raising event hosted by the African American Cultural Society and Commissioner Sinegal’s office. Juneteenth Events in Port Arthur begin June 8, but Read On... for all events scheduled for Port Arthur's Juneteenth Celebration!  ↓

The African American Cultural Society will again organize events to commemorate June 19th, the day Texas enslaved people learned of their freedom. The theme for 2023 is LIFT EVERY VOICE.

 A Gospel Explosion, Pageant, Sneaker Ball, and Parade are part of Juneteenth activities during this Quasquicentennial year in Port Arthur.

 The observance will begin with a June 8 Flag Raising Ceremony. 

Additional events include:

• Gospel Explosion – 6 p.m. Thursday, June 15, at Lamar State College – Port Arthur
• Ms. Juneteenth Pageant – location to be announced,  Saturday, June 17
• Alumni Softball Tournament - 9 a.m.  S. Sgt. Lucian Adams Park, Saturday, June 17.
• Sneaker Ball – 9 p.m. Saturday, June 17, S&G Auditorium
• Marcus Garvey Juneteenth Torchlight Parade – June 19, with a 5 p.m. lineup at the corner of Procter Street and Stilwell.  The parade will begin at 6. pm. from  Stilwell Blvd  to Barbara Jacket Park
• Activities at Barbara Jacket Park immediately following the parade 
• Carolyn Thibodeaux will coordinate a Juneteenth display at the Port Arthur Public Library.

Gail Pellum, of the African American Cultural Society, says Juneteenth is a day to appreciate and celebrate freedom and the inclusion of all races, ethnicities, and nationalities in our community. All are invited to wear cultural attire and join in the parade, decorate cars and trucks, and sign up drill teams, dance groups, and talents for park activities. There will be an official T-shirt, booths, and souvenir book ads. For more information, call Pellum at (409) 332-1709.

Click on this image for the official Port Arthur Juneteenth Facebook page: