Juneteenth is now a federal holiday.
It marks the day enslaved Black people in Texas learned they were free after the Civil War.
President Biden signed the bill into law at a ceremony attended by activists and members of Congress. He and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke about the importance of history – and the push for justice.
"We must learn from our history and we must teach our children our history because it is part of our history as a nation, it is part of American history."
"The emancipation of enslaved black Americans didn't mark the end of America's word to work on the promise of equality; it only marked the beginning. To honor the true meaning of Juneteenth, we have to continue toward that promise because we've not gotten there yet."
The president says protecting the right to vote is a key part of that promise.
