The City of Federal Way raised the Juneteenth flag for the sixth year on June 18 at City Hall.
The event was kicked off by a prayer by Pastor Joseph Bowman and a performance of both the U.S. National Anthem and the Black National Anthem (“Lift Every Voice and Sing”) by Pamela Bowman.
The flag raising was accompanied by a group reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth commemorates the event two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, where on June 19 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of both the Civil War and slavery.
The event was celebrated starting the following year in Texas and spread throughout the country, becoming a federally recognized national holiday over 150 years later in 2021.
Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell recognized the impact of young leader Anise Rogers in his remarks on Wednesday for her advocacy that led to the city’s first Juneteenth flag raising.
“We want to take a moment and acknowledge what this day means to our African American community in Federal Way, and frankly, our entire community,” Ferrell said at the flag raising. “Juneteenth captures the essence of the celebration symbolizing the long awaited arrival of freedom, and serves as a testament to the strength and spirit of those who fought so hard for liberation. As your mayor, thank you for supporting our efforts to promote diversity and inclusivity in our community.”
Shante Lane of the Federal Way Diversity Commission and longtime Federal Way community member Harold Booker II shared remarks as well as Sen. Claire Wilson (D-District 30).
“If I was a new person and I happened to stumble upon this city hall here, it would make me feel welcome and safe to see these flags flying over our city,” Lane said. “We have our Pride flag flying here, and we will soon have our Juneteenth flag flying here too. These flags are a symbol in the city of Federal Way that our doors are open and they are open to everyone.”
“I urge you all to continue to help us do the good work and keeping Federal Way a diverse and open place,” Lane added.
Booker shared some of that history of Federal Way that he and his family experienced throughout the years in his remarks.
Although the Conna family left their mark on Federal Way as Black pioneers in the late 1800s, by the 1960s, there were again no Black families until Harold Booker II’s family moved there in 1963. Booker shared in his speech that for the first four and a half years they lived in the city, they were the only people of color living in the city.
Recalling those experiences, he shared the challenges the family faced, but also the importance of moving forward and allowing space for things to change.
“Whenever I speak about it, folks want to focus on those flash points, like when the cross was cut into the lawn, or the house was fire bombed, or the pool was cleaned and drained because Brad and I had been swimming in it,” Booker said.
Instead of focusing on these heinous acts, Booker said his mother taught them to “focus on the people and not the acts” because “people can be educated, they can be enlightened, they can have a change of heart, and most often, they can be forgiven.”
Booker said that while he can still remember the names of the first Black families to integrate into Federal Way after their family, the names of the white allies who welcomed them are just as memorable.
“The list is long and distinguished of the warm and welcoming families that lived in this community,” Booker said, adding that “growing up in Federal Way was a good life with lots of wonderful moments of friendship and joy.”
Booker’s family also has ties to that first Juneteenth. His great-great-grandfather was enslaved in Texas and was 19 years old on June 19, 1865, and his family celebrated Juneteenth every year since.
Booker’s parents were also classmates with Miss Opal Lee, a retired teacher who earned a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2022 for her part in creating the Juneteenth holiday.
Looking to the future legacy of the holiday, community member Evan Cook shared his thoughts with the Mirror.
“Now that it’s getting all of this federal attention, everybody’s talking about it, everybody gets a day off work…now let’s bring this conversation where it needs to be…the point of everything, which is to restore and heal those communities,” Cook said.
A crowd of Federal Way community members and representatives from around the region gathered to celebrate the flag raising on June 18. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror
Pastor Joseph Bowman opened up the event with a prayer then was one of several community members to help raise the flag celebrating Juneteenth. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror
The American flag, Juneteenth flag and Pride flag fly together at Federal Way City Hall. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror
Several members of the Booker family were in attendance at the Federal Way Juneteenth flag raising on June 18. From left to right: Brad Booker, Debbie Booker, Vivian Lee, Marcia Booker and Harold Booker II. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror
