Hundreds come out during rainstorm to celebrate Juneteenth and honor Opal Lee
The people of Fort Worth showed up rain or shine to celebrate Juneteenth at the Opal Lee Freedom Walk on Friday morning.
People were lined up as early as 7 a.m. in the rain to collect their T-shirts for the walk and bask in the joy.
The rain may have delayed the walk by an hour, but it did not dim spirits. The theme of the day was “delayed not denied,” as Opal Lee’s great-granddaughter Robbin Sims said.
“I could have laid up in my bed and slept. I knew it was raining, but I said, ‘Let me come on out,’” said Jim Austin, who founded the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum in Fort Worth with his wife.
The Opal Lee Walk for Freedom has been a Juneteenth tradition in Fort Worth since 2015. The walk is 2.5 miles long, to symbolize the 2.5 years it took the news of emancipation to reach slaves in Galveston.
Lee, a Fort Worth native, has been an advocate for making Juneteenth a federal holiday for years and in 2016 at age 89 she symbolically walked from Texas to Washington, D.C., to lobby for the holiday. In 2021 when former President Joe Biden signed legislation to make it a federal holiday, she was there.
While Lee, 99, was not in attendance this year, Sims said that her spirit was emulated by all the people who showed up despite the rain.
“I’m gonna tell people that they embodied the spirit of Opal Lee today for their determination and their resilience. I can’t believe there’s still so many people who are willing to brave the weather to still make that walk in solidarity. It’s crazy to me. You guys are choosing to be here, and that is phenomenal,” Sims said.
There were hundreds of people in attendance, including James Talarico, who is running for U.S. Senate in Texas. He told the Star-Telegram this holiday is a reminder that “every generation has to continue to fight for freedom.”
“This is Texas history, it’s a reminder that that freedom is a Texas value, and that the fight for freedom is long, but when we fight together, we can win, and I think we need that message now more than ever,” Talarico said.
He added that he is inspired by Opal Lee’s joy.
“What strikes me about her is how she is still so joyful. After 99 years, after doing this work for decades, she still finds that joy to wake up every morning and fight for freedom and fight for justice, and I felt like we could all learn a lesson from her about how to do this work joyfully,” Talarico said.
For Delaine Wright, the day wasn’t only about celebrating Juneteenth. It was about reuniting with an old friend she hadn’t seen in 40 years.
“He invited me to come visit him for me to meet his wife, his kids, and his grandbabies, and I said, ‘Yes, I’ll come.’ He said, ‘Come for the Juneteenth,’” Wright said.
She said this is her first Juneteenth celebration.
“For it to be a reunion with my friends, to participate in this walk, knowing it’s just months before [Opal Lee’s] 100th birthday, it’s huge.”
The walk kicked off around 10 a.m. from the Will Rogers Memorial Center, with marching bands playing and folks ready to celebrate.
“July 4 is not our day, we were not free. Juneteenth is our day. This is the day we celebrate the honor that is absolutely germane to our heritage. I am honored to be here to support [Opal Lee], and even if today she doesn’t make it, we’re still gonna walk in her honor, because it’s that important,” Said Pamela Grayson, who was among the participants.
Lee was originally supposed to ride along in the front of the walk, but she was tired from previous press events, according to Promise Lee, her granddaughter. She was certainly missed, but the day did not lack her spirit.
“I felt like it’s very important that we all come together, and freedom is free for everybody. It should be free for everybody,” said Charle Thiamorrison, who took part in the celebration.
