Officials celebrate Juneteenth and new motorcycle license plate providing funding to mark holiday

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Sen. Regina Goodwin, D-Tulsa, and former Rep. Jason Lowe, D-Oklahoma City, are celebrating Juneteenth, and the expanded availability of an official license plate providing additional funding for Tulsa Juneteenth, Inc. Goodwin and Lowe were the principal authors of legislation that expanded the Greenwood Historical District car plate benefiting the Tulsa Juneteenth festival to include motorcycle tags.

Juneteenth marked the delayed end of slavery in Texas in 1865, more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Celebrations began the following year in Texas, and gradually spread throughout the country. In 2021, Juneteenth, observed on June 19, became a national holiday.

The Senate and House voted unanimously to override a veto of an omnibus license tag bill in the closing hours of the 2025 legislative session.

“I commend my fellow members in both chambers for their support. As a descendant of enslaved Black people, I’m grateful for freedom – Oklahomans have a way to celebrate this turning point in American history,” Goodwin said. “You only need one license plate – it’s great that people can purchase one that helps fund Juneteenth and celebrates Greenwood’s Black Wall Street without using tax dollars.”

The car plates are currently available at all Service Oklahoma locations, and the new motorcycle version will be available Nov. 1, 2025.

Lowe, who has since resigned from the House after being elected as an Oklahoma County Commissioner, said he was pleased Oklahomans now have this additional opportunity to support the celebration of Juneteenth.

“I think the unanimous override speaks volumes, and I’m grateful to the members of the Oklahoma Legislature for their votes,” said Lowe. “We must remember the past, give thanks for our victories, and continue to work together to recognize the humanity and dignity of all people throughout the nation. For all those reasons, Juneteenth is an important celebration, and I’m grateful we’ll now have this additional resource for this event.”

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For more information, contact: Sen. Regina Goodwin at 405-521-5598 or Regina.Goodwin@oksenate.gov