ORLANDO, Fla. — As rallies and marches celebrate Juneteenth, a day commemorating the end to slavery in America, the conversation on how to improve community relations is taking place.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings is calling on leadership and police to listen to the criticism with open ears, and he’s calling on citizens to get involved.

As the first African American Orlando Police Chief, the first African American Orange County Sheriff, and the first African American Orange County Mayor, among other “firsts,” Demings says the discrimination he experienced pushed him to make changes from the inside out.

“For those young people who find themselves frustrated, I say to all of them, get into the arena. Try to be the change by being part of these organizations,” Demings said.

They are organizations Demings must reflect the community as a whole.

"Our agencies are much more diverse today than they’ve ever been. Am I satisfied? No. I think it can be better and so our recruitment efforts have to be focused on getting the diversity that we need,” he said.

He also believes accountability and standards must be better.

‘Here in the state of Florida, it is not a requirement for a law enforcement agency to be accredited by the state of Florida. I believe that should change,” Demings said.

But change often requires money. Demings says law enforcement agencies are fairly well funded, and it’s about where the funding goes.

 “We should look inward as a division of government to make sure we’re using the people’s money in the most effective way. I believe it’s going to require some changes in the way we train,” Demings said.

On this Juneteenth commemoration, we asked Mayor Demings about the call to make this a national holiday. Demings responded by saying every day should be a Juneteenth holiday in America.​

For the full interview with Mayor Demings, watch the video below: