Opal's Walk for Freedom looks to expand to all 50 states
Opal Lee's Walk for Freedom may soon stretch far beyond its traditional 2.5-mile route in Fort Worth.
Lee's granddaughter, Dione Sims, is helping the 98-year-old "Grandmother of Juneteenth" expand the walk to cities across the country.
A walk in all 50 states
"What we're planning to do is to stand up one Opal's-branded, looks-like, feels-like Fort Worth Opal's Walk in all 50 states," Sims said. "One city in all 50 states."
Sims said they would welcome more cities if possible. The goal is to launch the national effort in 2026, when Lee turns 100 and the United States celebrates its 250th birthday.
"That imprint for the nation's birthday of celebrating freedom is what we're really shooting for," Sims said. "We're making an imprint on the national stage."
Will Opal Lee appear at her walk?
In the meantime, many are wondering whether Lee will appear at her 2025 walk.
"I am leaving it to my family — my dad, my aunts, my cousins," Sims said. "And if she wants to get out, they told me that they would let her come and be there."
Sims said the plan was never for her grandmother to walk this year. Lee may ride in an air-conditioned vehicle instead. She asked Sims to lead the walk in her place.
"We're leading. We're walking," Sims said. "She said, 'You can do it. You got this.' I said, 'Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.'"
A legacy of freedom and unity
Sims continues to focus on freedom — something she said Juneteenth represents for everyone, even though its roots are tied to enslaved people in Texas who did not know they were free.
"Help people see that Juneteenth brings us all together," she said. "From there we can now talk and have real conversations about what's affecting our nation today — without blame, without shame — but real conversations."
Passing the torch
Sims said she remains a collaborator and executor of Lee's legacy, even as they discuss passing the baton. The mantle of freedom, she said, belongs to everyone.
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