Juneteenth is now a federal holiday, which many say is a major step in acknowledgement and a long time coming.

It's been more than 150 years since the enforcement of the liberation of slaves in the United States.

The nation is just getting to a point where this important mark in history is gaining attention and still there some is confusion about what it's all about.

Although President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 that outlawed slavery, Confederate States, a part of the rebellion, ignored the proclamation in states like in Texas and continued with slave labor. That is in part because Union soldiers were not in Southern States to enforce the president's order.

On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers advanced into Texas and General Gordon Granger delivered General Order Number 3 to the people in Galveston that slaves were now free, and it was then enforced. Free Black Texans then celebrated by marking Juneteenth.

Organizations like 651 Arts and Juneteenth NYC are some of the groups that will host events to commemorate Juneteenth this Saturday throughout the New York City metropolitan area.