For the first time since its inception in 2020, Ms. Opal Lee's Walk for Freedom was held in Dallas. The Juneteenth celebration had always been held on the South Side of Fort Worth in the area where, in 1939, a 12-year-old Lee remembers a group of white rioters burning down her home. This year, the 2.5-mile-walk, symbolizing the 2.5 years that elapsed before news of the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation reached Galveston, took place in the vicinity of the African American History Museum in Fair Park.  

In early June, Presidential Medal of Honor recipient Lee made appearances on the local media outlets repeating the mantra, "Please, Fort Worth, don't embarrass me by not going. I expect to see you." The move to Dallas this year is part of an ambitious goal to expand the walk, with plans to walk in Washington, D.C. in 2026, when Lee is 100-years-old.

"Texas Wesleyan has participated in the walk for the past few years," said Chris Ohan, Associate Professor of History, "So we couldn't just not go because the walk was further away. We couldn't let Ms. Opal down." Her roots are deep at Texas Wesleyan. Not only because her daughter and granddaughter are both alumni, but also because Ms. Lee was presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the university in 2021.

After the walk, Ms. Lee shared her vision for the future for both Juneteenth and July 4, suggesting that the two weeks between the holidays could be a protracted annual celebration in the country. As she's fond of pointing out, "July 4 freed the land. Juneteenth freed the people."

Joining Ms. Lee this year were singer and songwriter Erykah Badu, Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia, and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Collin Allred. Texas Wesleyan was represented by a small, but dedicated group: Associate Professor of Sociology Alison Simons, Head Basketball Coach Brian Wanamaker, and Chris Ohan. "We'll do better next year," said Simons, "since this cause is too important."