Juneteenth 2023

Today’s Doodle celebrates Juneteenth and was created by guest artist illustrator Laura Freeman. On this day in 1865 Black enslaved people in  Galveston, Texas received news of their liberation through the Emancipation Proclamation. The executive order mandated the end of slavery in Confederate states and marked the official end of the Civil War. 

When Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, several confederate-controlled states including Texas, continued to oppose it. Union troops marched to the port city of Galveston and issued the now-famous General Orders, Number 3, which informed hundreds of thousands of Black Texans of their freedom. Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas in 1980 and a national federal holiday in June 2021. 

Every year, Black Americans acknowledge Juneteenth with events and gatherings that honor the struggles of those who came before and the ongoing efforts to build a more just and equitable country. Today’s artwork depicts a multi-generational community celebration of the holiday with symbols of freedom including a dove, Juneteenth flag and Kente cloth patterns. 

Happy Juneteenth!

Guest Artist Q&A with Laura Freeman

Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Atlanta-based guest artist, Laura Freeman. Below, she shares her thoughts behind the making of this Doodle:

Q. What was your creative process for this Doodle artwork? (ie. research, artistic style or medium)

A: It was a real honor to be asked to do the Juneteenth doodle! For this doodle, I focused on two themes, Celebration and Freedom. I incorporated the Juneteenth flag and Kente cloth patterns. In some of my initial sketches, I also used a pattern made up of the Adinkra symbol for freedom/independence. The colors of the Kente cloth also inspired the palette for the rest of the doodle. The sketch that was ultimately chosen focuses on the celebration aspect. I originally had only one woman's profile on the right side and the people at Google suggested I incorporate the additional profiles showing people of different ages and genders — I think it was a good call. As always I work in Photoshop from start to finish, except for some very rough concept sketches doodled into my sketchbook in pencil. 

Early Doodle Draft Concepts