DURHAM, N.C. — The historical legacy behind Juneteenth, the newest federal holiday, still resonates today, a historian with Hayti Heritage Center in Durham says.

“Talking about Juneteenth for us, in a sense, represents the ways in which our system of oral tradition were broken down,” Angel Dozier, a historian with the cultural arts and arts education venue that promotes African American history, said.

Juneteenth historically has been marked on June 19, the day in 1865 that federal troops arrived to Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and make sure that the last enslaved people in the country were freed.

Juneteenth became a federal holiday one year ago.

Dozier says the holiday and the pandemic brought attention to social justice issues that needed to be addressed nationwide.

“There were a lot of grassroots in Durham working to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday for a long time. The first year that the city of Durham and the county of Durham had determined this will be an official city and county observance was just huge for us,” Dozier said.

She says she encourages people to remember their history and continue to have celebrations honoring Juneteenth.

“They’re important for building, understanding and tolerance, and when we have understanding and tolerance, we can build so many amazing things that we have yet to imagine,” Dozier said.