The Juneteenth flag now flies above MATC's downtown campus, serving as both a celebration of freedom and a reminder of the resilience and contributions of African Americans throughout history.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865 — the day enslaved people in Texas learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The Juneteenth flag's star and bursting horizon represent freedom and the promise of a new beginning.
Watch: MATC raises the Juneteenth flag at its downtown Milwaukee campus
Samuel Alford, an MATC alumnus, said the day carries deep meaning.
"The raising of the Juneteenth flag is more than important. It raises the standard. It raises a reminder that we overcame oppression before. We overcame slavery," Alford said.
Alford said the holiday also speaks to what freedom truly means.
"Historically, it means we won the war. It means freedom wasn't actualized until everybody was actually free. Juneteenth means to me it's the real 4th of July to black Americans," Alford said.
He said keeping that history alive is a responsibility that falls on those who lived it.
"It makes me feel great, you know what I mean? ... We are the living libraries that keep these stories alive. We need to pass it on," Alford said.
For College Events Coordinator Ebony Hagler, Juneteenth is more than history. It's her family's story.
"It's very personal because my father's family is from Galveston, Texas," Hagler said.
Hagler said her family has traced its roots directly to the moment emancipation became real.
"We've traced our roots back to our great great grandfather, who at the time of the Emancipation Proclamation was 15, so it makes me just think, wow, what was that like for him," Hagler said.
She said she hopes the ceremony leaves a lasting impression on those who witnessed it.
"Juneteenth to me means freedom and celebrating freedom. While we're not there yet, we've come a way. We've come a long way. We've got a long way to go, but it's celebration of who we are as a people, our resilience," Hagler said.
"I hope that they understand that history will repeat itself if we don't acknowledge what has occurred, and I hope that they celebrate along with us all of the achievements that African Americans, black people, people of color have contributed to this nation," Hagler said.
"Coming together on days like this is just very important, and so I hope that people take away from it the celebration of black people and the liberation," Hagler said.
Darryl Fortune, MATC's director of content and public relations, said the event reflects the college's broader values.
"Today's event is a celebration of not only MATC and diversity, but also of Juneteenth and showing the pride that the college has for Juneteenth," Fortune said.
Fortune said education is at the heart of why events like this matter.
"I hope that people first are educated, that they're educated about what Juneteenth is and why we celebrate. I also hope that there's inclusiveness and understanding," Fortune said.
He said the stories shared at events like this one are what make the celebration meaningful.
"That all people are important and that everyone has a story to tell and to be able to tell that story in this Juneteenth celebration is important," Fortune said.
Fortune also noted Milwaukee's place in the national Juneteenth tradition.
"If you look at the Juneteenth parade over the years, you see the diversity not only in the parade, but also in the streets and the community coming out. It is just a huge festival. Milwaukee is one of the largest in the country," Fortune said.
Poet Kwabena Antoine Nixon said Juneteenth is a celebration that is often misunderstood.
"A lot of times, everybody likes to show our pain but doesn't wanna show our joy. Juneteenth is a celebration of us overcoming," Nixon said.
Nixon said the holiday is a testament to enduring resilience.
"The pain overcoming and the suffering and still finding meaning in that and to see it still going since the day they founded it to this present time and especially in the climate we're in Juneteenth means to me that's the beauty of resilience, man, celebration of resilience," Nixon said.
He said the holiday belongs to all Americans, not just one community.
"Juneteenth is an American holiday. Juneteenth happened in America, right? That was the things that happened what happened in America, correct? So this is a part of American history," Nixon said.
Nixon said understanding that history starts with knowing where you come from.
"When you know who you are, you know where you're going, and you know where you're coming from. So it's important. Most of our young people don't know the vastness of our history," Nixon said.
Milwaukee's Juneteenth celebration is one of the longest-running in the nation, with the holiday falling on Friday, June 19.
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