Juneteenth and Opal's Walk for Freedom

About this happenin

Opal's Walk for Freedom is a 2.5-mile walk held on Juneteenth in Fort Worth, where Dr. Opal Lee started it. The distance stands for the two and a half years between the Emancipation Proclamation and the day freedom was enforced in Texas. Lee began walking in 2016 at the age of 89, with a plan to cover the 1,400 miles from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C. and press Congress to make Juneteenth a national holiday. Her petition passed 1.5 million signatures, and Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. Unity Unlimited, a Fort Worth nonprofit, runs the walk now. It has host cities across the country and a virtual option, so anyone can walk 2.5 miles wherever they are. The most recent Fort Worth walk began at Will Rogers Square in the Cultural District, with registration at 9 a.m., the walk at 10 and a shuttle following the walkers for seniors and anyone who needs a ride. Live music played at the square for people who would rather listen. Adults paid a registration fee that included a T-shirt, and walkers 18 and under paid nothing. Freedom Vibes is a separate festival, run by the National Juneteenth Museum, that fills about ten days around Juneteenth in Fort Worth with concerts, cultural demonstrations, art exhibitions and educational workshops.

More in June: 9 other Dallas-Fort Worth events.

Where

Will Rogers Square · 3401 W Lancaster Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76107