Local leaders raise Juneteenth flag over Milwaukee City Hall

The pouring rain didn’t stop early Juneteenth celebrations from taking place on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

Milwaukee leaders gathered at the Zeidler Municipal Building to raise the Juneteenth flag.

Milwaukee officials said it’s important to remember and reflect on the history of Juneteenth.

“It’s about freedom. It’s about liberation. It’s about showing us who we really are. When we come together, even when there are big, huge, trying challenges before us, there is absolutely nothing that we cannot do,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson said.

Milwaukee is home to one of the longest-running Juneteenth celebrations in the country.

Juneteenth was officially recognized by the state of Wisconsin in 2009. It became a federal holiday in 2021when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

“In this city we celebrate who we are. We celebrate our history,” said Mayor Johnson.