What happens to a holiday when its most beloved champion cannot join the celebration? On Thursday, hundreds still showed up for Opal’s Walk for Freedom, a 2.5-mile trek to celebrate Juneteenth. Sims, who led the walk, called herself the “granddaughter of Juneteenth.”

FOX 4 sat down with Opal Lee, a Fort Worth woman who became known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth. Hear her story about the effort to make Juneteenth a national holiday.

Roderick Miles Jr., the Tarrant County Commissioner of Precinct 1, hugs Dione Sims, the granddaughter of Opal Lee, following the Opal Lee Walk for Freedom at Farrington Field in Fort Worth on Thursday, June 19, 2025. Lee was not able to participate in this years walk due to health concerns. Chris Torres [email protected]