The NCAA’s national office in Indianapolis, Indiana, will be closed on Friday in recognition of Juneteenth, according to an NCAA press release on Thursday.

“We believe it is important to take time to honor this key milestone in our nation’s history. Our staff will use the day to educate themselves and others on social justice issues or support causes that foster a more fair and equal society,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said. “Our country has a tremendous opportunity to impact change, but it has not been without pain. We will continue to find ways to support you while identifying ways to be part of the solution.”

Juneteenth is a holiday on June 19 in 47 out of the 50 states in the United States, excluding Hawaii, North Dakota and South Dakota, that celebrates the emancipation of the final 250,000 slaves in the United States, Texas, to be specific, on June 19, 1865.

The NCAA stated in the press release that many groups were involved in the effort to recognize Juneteenth at the NCAA national office.

The main group that led the effort, according to the NCAA, was the People of Color Employee Engagement Group (The People of Color EEG).

The People of Color EEG organizes opportunities for employees in the NCAA to “learn about, share and celebrate diverse cultures, while unifying and developing meaningful relationships across the national office and in the membership.”

Bob Williams, senior vice president of communications and executive sponsor of the People of Color EEG, wrote in the press release about the importance of celebrating the event and more about what the People of Color EEG does.

“It is important we take this time to celebrate all that Juneteenth represents, while also reflecting how all of us across college sports can be part of the solutions our society is working on right now,” Williams said. “The EEG provides this educational resource to help others learn about how they can celebrate this historic event in American history and continue the conversations about social justice long after this Friday.”