“We honor the legacy of those who fought for our emancipation and those who continued to fight for our civil rights and economic progress,” Sen. Dora Drake (D-Milwaukee) said at the Tuesday celebration. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Exmainer.)

Wisconsin state leaders spent the week leading up to Juneteenth recognizing the holiday and calling for the fight for freedom and equality to continue. 

Juneteenth marks the official end of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865. On that day, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, to announce to more than 250,000 enslaved Black people that they were free, about two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. 

The Juneteenth flag was raised over the Wisconsin State Capitol on Wednesday afternoon for the sixth year in a row. Gov. Tony Evers spoke at a ceremony held on the observation deck in the rain. The flag will be up over the Capitol until sunset on Thursday. 

The star in the center of the flag is meant to represent Texas — the Lone Star State — as well as a nova to signify a new beginning and freedom for Black Americans, while the red, white and blue colors are meant to represent that enslaved people and their descendants are Americans and shall be forever free.

Evers said the holiday is a time to celebrate the “critical progress” that’s been made and to commit to “make sure our work is building a more just, a more equitable and a freer state and country.”

“Now more than ever, we must not be silent about the realities faced by communities who have felt the disproportionate impacts of centuries of injustice. Now, more than ever, we must work towards the future where every family, no matter their background, race, zip code, or socioeconomic status has the tools and resources required,” Evers said  And now, more than ever as leaders in D.C. try to sow division We must remember that there is more that unites us than divides us and that our diversity is our strength, not our weakness.” 

The legislative Black Caucus hosted a celebration of Juneteenth in the rotunda of the state Capitol on Tuesday and the theme of the celebration was “Voices of Freedom: Justice in Motion, Leading with Purpose.” The caucus also honored La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington Spivey and Racine Judge Jamie McClendon, who are both the first black elected leaders to serve in their respected roles.

Sen. Dora Drake (D-Milwaukee)  said they were gathered to celebrate “not just Black history but American history.” 

“We honor the legacy of those who fought for our emancipation and those who continued to fight for our civil rights and economic progress,” Drake said. 

Drake noted that the significance of Juneteenth has grown with its recognition as a federal holiday reflecting “a broader acknowledgement and importance of freedom and equality in American history.” 

At the celebration, D’Mario Cockfield, co-chair of the Milwaukee County Youth Council, spoke, quipping that he was sure people were wondering why a teen was giving remarks at the Capitol. 

“If you grew up like I did you probably had a Black mother who told you to stay out of grown folks’ business but — believe me I’ve heard that more times than I can count — but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned something very important that when it comes to freedom, justice and equality that this is my business and it’s all of yours as well. It’s a shared responsibility,” Cockfield said. 

Cockfield told the crowd that Juneteenth is about remembering how much Black Americans have struggled and overcome and also remembering to be present, aware and to be the change that those who came before us could only wish to see. He said the work towards justice is the work of every generation. 

“Freedom isn’t given, it’s earned through struggle, through sacrifice and through courage,” Cockfield said. He said it also takes the will to be “in grown folks’ business.”