DENVER (KDVR) -- This year marks three years since Gov. Jared Polis signed legislation making Juneteenth a state holiday in Colorado.

Polis celebrated the now-also federal holiday in a statement on Thursday, referring to Juneteenth as "Freedom Day," as it is also known.

"This date is a reminder of the day all people finally earned their freedom from slavery, and reinvigorates our commitment to continue the fight to secure and maintain freedom and justice for everyone, as we celebrate diversity and continue building a more welcoming Colorado for All," Polis said.

Juneteenth was established as a federal holiday by the Biden administration in 2021. The date commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, specifically when Union soldiers brought the news that slavery had ended to still-enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, two months after the Confederacy surrendered.

"We stand together in Colorado, united against hate and divisiveness, in celebrating our shared humanity so we may find a more free and prosperous future for everyone,” Polis said.