The president of Minority Millennials, along with many Long Islanders, are praising President Joe Biden for signing off on making Juneteenth a federal holiday.

Biden signed it into law Thursday to mark the day 156 years ago when the last of the slaves were set free.

Daniel Lloyd, the founder and president of Minority Millennials, is among the many saying it's about time. He says calls for recognition have been mounting for years, eventually exploding into the streets everywhere over the last year.

"Finally, it has been 156 years," says Lloyd. "Without a doubt this past year has pushed forward what it means for social justice."

Lloyd says the George Floyd murder has spurred a lot of interesting engagement from all different backgrounds and communities.

Also pleased with the what happened today is 17-year-old Ariana Levin, of Huntington Station.

"Black people are finally getting the recognition in this country that we've been fighting for for so long," says Levin.

Last year, Levin organized a rally that drew hundreds. This Juneteenth, Levin has organized another march starting and ending here at Cow Meadow Park in Freeport. The event starts at 1:30 p.m.

"So I decided I wanted to be bigger and better this year," says Levin.

MORE: Guide: Juneteenth events and celebrations throughout Long Island

Dennis Jones, of Valley Stream, says it's a teaching moment.

"The lesson of even teaching our kids about Juneteenth and about slavery and the things that they'll be learning now because of this holiday being put through," says Jones. "We are going to have some healing with this moving forward."

There are several Juneteenth celebrations being held across Long Island this weekend, including one at Bayview Kitchen where they're hosting a Juneteenth Father's Day comedy show.