June 19 marks Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. It became a federal holiday in 2021 when then-President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

A federal holiday is coming up on Thursday to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth, first declared a federal holiday in 2021, has a history stretching back to Civil War-era America but rose in popularity in the months after the 2020 racial justice protests across the nation.

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery after the U.S. Civil War, and while government buildings and financial markets are closed, most retail stores are open.