Juneteenth is now an official holiday in the Town of Huntington.

Huntington's town board voted 5-0 on the proposal for the day that celebrates the announcement to the end of slavery in the U.S.

It wasn't until June 19, 1865 that soldiers finally made it to Texas with news the war was over and slaves were free. That was over two years after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

"Really reflect upon the great achievements we've made since that time and really look upon and reflect upon what the people who were enslaved have done for the country and really create such a fabric in our country," says Huntington Town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci.

Widespread calls to make Juneteenth a federal holiday came after the murder of George Floyd last year.