In observance of Juneteenth, the ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth, Ms. Opal Lee, at age 94, will host her annual 2.5 mile walk through her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. Her tireless effort have helped raise awareness of the importance of making Juneteenth a nationally recognized holiday.
The walk will begins at Evans Avenue Plaza in the historic Southside and conclude at the Courthouse in downtown Fort Worth. And this year, there were several options for people around the world to join either in person or remotely. This walk symbolizes the 2.5 years it took for enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach the enslaved.
Ms. Opal is the oldest living board member of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) that was founded and led by the late Dr. Ronald Myers. On Thursday, June 17, 2021 she received her day off as President Joe Biden signed into law that Juneteenth would finally be a national holiday.
This is a definite step in the right direction but there is more work to be done. It starts with educating yourself on the affects of systemic racism, healthcare and educational disparities, and being a voice of change!
Opal’s Walk Live was livestreamed exclusively via the FOX SOUL streaming platform at www.youtube.com/foxsoul, allowing those who could attend in person to support virtually.
MORE INFORMATION:
- Watch Juneteenth: The Road To Unity with Ms. Opal Lee and Carmelo Anthony: https://amplify.caa.com/library/
- Watch Ms. Opal’s recent interview with Dr. Sean McMillan on his FOX SOUL show, The Book of Sean: https://bit.ly/2QVQ3bf
- Learn more about Ms. Opal and sign her Change.org petition to make Juneteenth a national holiday via her website: www.opalswalk2dc.com/
