As this city continues to address its complicated past, leaders are preparing to host their first official Juneteenth event downtown.

The United States will soon have 11 federal holidays.

Juneteenth is coming up, this weekend in fact -- and for those who might be unfamiliar, the holiday commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.

While many Americans have a vast array of knowledge about Juneteenth, others don’t know as much about the holiday and the history behind it.

Juneteenth, which takes place June 19 each year, is the name for the date in 1865 when Union soldiers freed the remaining slaves in Texas, enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation.

The event will take place on the historic grounds of Christiansburg Industrial Institute, the first high school for Black students in Southwest Virginia.

Most of us are aware of Juneteenth, in that it exists, but there is so much history to know about the celebration.

It’s an occasion that’s recognized in most states and the District of Columbia, but it’s not as of yet a federal holiday.

The Senate has passed a bill that would make Juneteenth, or June 19th, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery.

Virginia Tech researchers are looking at the history behind Juneteenth.

Did you realize that Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States?

You don’t have to be a history buff to get reeled into “Fighting for Freedom: Black Union Soldiers from Rockbridge”.

Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the day in 1865 that all enslaved Black people learned they had been freed, is often celebrated by families across the nation -- with events including cookouts, parades or community festivals.

Nike, the NFL and other businesses are giving their employees a paid day off on Juneteenth for the first time, the latest example of how American employers are responding to protests that have placed additional attention on racial injustice in the U.S. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger came to Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of the Civil War and slavery.

The Lynchburg City Council has unanimously voted to make Juneteenth, a commemoration of the day slaves were legally freed in America, a paid holiday for all city employees.

Juneteenth brought a celebration Saturday to mark the abolition of slavery.