Juneteenth celebrations took place across New Jersey on Thursday.

East Orange city leaders hosted their second annual Juneteenth block party at Rowley Park. Event organizers say it was a great event to learn about the holiday’s history and the experiences of African Americans.

“It’s so important for us to take this history and also transcend and make sure that our kids know what happened and most importantly, that they need to carry that legacy of the history of our elders,” says East Orange Councilman Sammed Monk.

Organizers also had information about voting and housing for those who attended the event.

And over at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, the Juneteenth festival “All About Us” returned. The festival featured seven different DJs.

Organizers say the event offered participants a chance to reflect and embrace the history of Juneteenth.

“It means to me freedom. It means to me there is more work to be done. It means to me, resilience of my people and because of their resilience, I am here today standing as the first African American council president of the city of Jersey City,” says Joyce Watterman.

Juneteenth is a federal holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.