Juneteenth Flag-Raising Takes Place Friday At Tampa City Hall

TAMPA, FL — The fourth annual Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony & Festival will take place on Friday, June 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a flag raising ceremony at City Hall followed by a festival at Lykes Gaslight Park, 241 E Madison St., Tampa.

Come ready to share your oral histories to be documented as part of the Tampa Soulwalk project. There will be food trucks and dozens of arts, culture and nonprofit community vendors.

At the request of former Tampa City Council member Orlando Gudes, last year the city council voted to make Juneteenth a city holiday, following the example of Hillsborough County. All city offices will be closed on June 19 in honor of the holiday.

The day was first recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Deriving its name from combining June and 19th, it is celebrated on the anniversary of the order issued by Maj. General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, proclaiming freedom for slaves in Texas.

The city of Tampa, along with community partners, such as the Tampa Bay History Center and the University of South Florida, cultural institutions, planners, developers, nonprofits and tourist bureaus, launched the Tampa Soulwalk in February during National Black History Month to highlight African American contributions from the past to the present.

The walkable exhibit spans 46 miles and 25 neighborhoods within the city of Tampa.

Along the routes, people can take in nearly 100 stops from lenticular prints at the Perry Harvey Sr. Park to historic landmarks, public art installations, museums, cemeteries, churches and murals that highlight the black communities.

The city is now working with artists, writers, historians and curators to recognize and embed community stories, histories and cultural traditions into its public spaces.

The goal of Soulwalk is to strengthen Tampa neighborhoods and contribute to building communities through storytelling, community engagement and documentation to complement and elevate a sense of community.

Visitors can traverse the trail on foot, bike or by car and can access more information about each of the existing locations through an app that is still in development. Community events and educational opportunities will take place throughout the year to announce new additions to the trail, raise awareness, and receive community input.