(WWLP) – On June 19, the federal holiday, Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans here in the United States.

It’s also a day for many to celebrate African-American culture and emphasize education and achievement.

Juneteenth marks the day when General Order Number 3 was announced by the Union Army to proclaim freedom for the remaining enslaved people in Texas on June 19th, 1865.

Slavery in the United States did not officially end until the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution on December 6, 1865, which abolished slavery entirely in all of the U-S states and territories.

Juneteenth is consider the longest running African American holiday, has since been observed with celebrations and even becoming a multi-cultural holiday in some areas of the U.S.

On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday under the Biden Administration when the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act went into law.