As people gathered to celebrate Juneteenth at events across the U.S., former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama welcomed the first visitors to his presidential center.

The origin of the Juneteenth celebrations marking the end of slavery in the U.S. goes back to an order issued as Union troops arrived in Texas at the end of the Civil War.

The United States government is catching up with Black people who have been commemorating the end of slavery in the United States for generations with a day called “Juneteenth.”.

[Use the video player at the top of this story to rewatch the Real Talk town hall]Nationwide, as well as in our own backyard, we’ve seen protests and calls for change, including cries for more transparency and accountability within law enforcement agencies. Activists say that list proves that Floyd’s death wasn’t a tragic one-off example; it was part of a larger, disturbing trend of police brutality directed toward black people in America. That’s why ClickOrlando.com hosted Real Talk: A Candid Conversation from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. It fell on Juneteenth, an unofficial holiday known as Black Independence Day that commemorates the events of June 19, 1865. To rewatch Real Talk: A Candid Conversation, click the video player at the top of this story.

Although slavery was already abolished more than two years earlier by the Emancipation Proclamation, it continued in some areas. Some businesses have professed support for the Black Lives Matter movement or pledged to donate money to organizations. Others have promised to hire more black workers or make other policy changes. This week, Nike CEO John Donahoe told workers they would get Juneteenth off starting this year as a way to celebrate black culture and history. The power of this historical feat in our countrys blemished history is felt each year," Goodell wrote in a memo.