Juneteenth flag raised to kick off a week of celebration and awareness in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee city leaders gathered at City Hall to raise the Juneteenth flag early Monday, June 17. The flag has been flown over City Hall during the week of Juneteenth every year since 2020.

Juneteenth marks the day in 1965 when U.S. troops freed the last enslaved people in Texas, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Celebrations will continue throughout the week, including a parade, community cookout and a '70s and '80s funk party on Wednesday night at The Cooperage in Milwaukee.

Mayor Cavalier Johnson noted the increasing diversity of the event. "Over the course of the last number of years, one of the things that has been very striking to me, and you'll see this when you're along the parade route, is that it's grown more and more diverse," he said.

"People are seeing and understanding the importance of Juneteenth."

The Juneteenth parade will be held Wednesday, June 19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Maps of the parade route, as well as additional maps of other activities, can all be found at JuneteenthMilwaukee.com.