Juneteenth

This is also the first year city workers will observe Juneteenth as a paid-holiday.

The federal holiday commemorates June 19th, 1865, when enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, were told they were free. In New York City this year, arts events and cultural experiences are running all weekend long to celebrate.

"The Ordering of Moses," composed by Harlem Renaissance artist R. Nathaniel Dett, gets a rare performance in advance of Juneteenth weekend.

The founder of Juneteenth NYC discusses her mixed feelings about it becoming a federal holiday, and the need for more celebrations of Black culture.

New York City, which has declared Juneteenth an official holiday, will host a variety of events commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.

The Department of Education originally said the holiday would be renamed Indigenous People's Day and later added the Italian Heritage component.

"This new public holiday will serve as a day to recognize the achievements of the Black community, while also providing an important opportunity for self-reflection on the systemic injustices that our society still faces today," Cuomo said.

Many more demonstrations and marches are planned for June 20th as well.

"I’m sick of seeing Black women dying, Black women being shot, Black women being harassed, Black trans women being murdered, and no one doing anything."

You can see some photos and videos from multiple marches happening in Harlem, at City Hall, near SoHo and at the Brooklyn Museum.