WORCESTER, Mass. - Juneteenth is a new federal holiday.

Worcester NAACP President Fred Taylor says the observance being recognized nationally is a great thing for the Black community in Central Massachusetts. 

“I’m greatly elated. There is lot of holidays that are recognized," Taylor said. "Blacks in this country helped build this country."

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Texas about two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the Southern states.

Worcester celebrated the holiday last week with a flag raising.

Gloria Hall is part of the committee which put on the event and says the holiday being recognized federally is a chance for people to learn about slavery both in school and at home. Hall says a court case which helped abolish slavery took place right in Worcester County.

“Education is key," Hall said. "Maybe it will change some people's attitudes. Maybe it will just help people to realize the history and to recognize the history."

Others say Juneteenth is a day to reflect. 

“We need to remember that this was a whole race that was traumatized, that was enslaved. That was forced to do things that they didn't necessarily want to do," Rev. Clyde Talley, Senior pastor, Belmont A.M.E. Zion Church said.  "Some people say well we're not the generation that did that, but we still need to remember our history." 

Meanwhile, Taylor says the federal holiday is progress for social justice, but more work needs to be done. 

“There's a lot of social justice issues that need to be addressed. And thank God we're moving in the direction of addressing it. And a lot more people feel more comfortable, whether they are white or Black, speaking about the issues that we face in this country," Taylor said.