Juneteenth
Juneteenth. An event brand for an annual celebration of freedom.
Assignment
Build a versatile, evergreen identity that’s consistent enough to work year after year, yet flexible enough to allow for an annual refresh.
Category
Civic
Event
Deliverables
Design
Strategy
Art Direction
Branding
Identity
Story
Juneteenth is a new American holiday that celebrates and commemorates Black culture and reinforces Black history as American history. Juneteenth creates space for education, advocacy, and healing. Celebrating Juneteenth provides a unifying platform for all Americans to celebrate our common bond of freedom. For the Forest Park community, this presented an opportunity for unity and a celebration of diversity.
Juneteenth (June 19, 1865) is when enslaved African Americans of Galveston, Texas learned they were free. The news erupted into a history-making celebration known as “Juneteenth.” The formerly enslaved African Americans rejoiced and declared that day “Freedom Day,” “Emancipation Day,” or Juneteenth (“June” plus “nineteenth”). It had been nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation that enslaved Texans learned that they were in fact free. That hopeful day in June marked the end of slavery and the beginning of freedom.
In 2008, along with a group of community residents, Mayor Rory Hoskins founded the Annual Forest Park Juneteenth Pool Party and commissioned Leonard Branding + Design to develop the event identity. Collateral has ranged from t-shirts and social media aassets to an event website, banners and fliers. This annual event has inspired surrounding communities to host their own celebrations in honor of Juneteenth’s historical significance.
