A 90-year-old woman is doing what most of us aren’t willing to do, even in our prime. Opal Lee is walking from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington D.C. in an effort to make Juneteenth a national holiday. Ms. Lee, a community activist who has fought to bring resources to under-serviced communities, has also worked to expand the annual Juneteenth celebration in Fort Worth over the past 40 years.



With her help, the celebration in Fort Worth has gone from being just one day to a parade, breakfast of prayer, honors banquet, Miss Juneteenth Pageant, Health & Job Fair, 5K Run, Art Exhibit, Golf Tournament, Gospel Festival and more. Ms. Lee has decided that the time has come to work even harder for Juneteenth to become not just a day recognized by 45 states, but one recognized as a national holiday.



So what makes a 90-year-old woman decide to take a walk all the way to D.C.? Opal’s Walk is to encourage young people to continue the fight, because Ms. Lee plans on passing the torch when the time comes. With a mission to encourage young people to join and a letter to President Obama in hand, she believes that she can make this happen.



In a letter to President Obama, Ms. Lee tells the President that she wants to hear the reason why Juneteenth has not been made a national holiday. This won’t be her first conversation with the President. Ms. Lee has had the pleasure of meeting the President three times and attending both inaugurations. She’s even received a letter from FLOTUS herself. But this walk toward Washington is a step toward having the most important conversation of her life that affects us all as proud black people.



Opal Lee is making her way toward Washington D.C. and hopefully toward an historical event. For those wondering, its 1,400 miles from her home to D.C. Walking 10 miles per day, it will take her approximately 21 weeks to get to the White House.



Be sure to follow her route and  sign her petition in support of making Juneteenth a national holiday.



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