2026 Opal’s Walk for Freedom Media Coverage Guidelines

Fort Worth, Texas Jun 15, 2026 (Issuewire.com) This year’s Opals Walk for Freedom will be hosted by multiple cities across the nation and globally via the Opals Walk for Freedom Challenge, honoring Dr. Opal Lees 100th birthday and the U.S. federal holiday, Juneteenth. Media are welcome to support the event through the guidelines outlined below. We want to ensure that all media members have a safe and smooth experience covering this historic event. Please note the following:

WHAT

Media are invited to cover the event and conduct onsite interviews. 

WHEN  

Friday, June 19, 2026

• Fort Worth, TX – (**7:20 am) 9:00 am CST 
• Cincinnati, OH  – 9:00 am CST
• Evanston, IL  – (**9:45 am) 10:30 am CST
• Los Angeles, CA – 9:00 am PST
• Grants Pass, OR – 10:00 am PST
• Washington, DC  – 10:00am EST

**will host a press conference on the day of and prior to the walk. Please register to attend and  coordinate with the host city directly

WHERE

Venues will designate media parking and pits for setting up satellite feeds and interviews at the starting line and midway along the walk route.

It is important to know that the media is prohibited from interfering with filming. Please do not jump in front of the walk at any time during production.

WHO

• Walk Leads
• Dr. Opal Lee, affectionately known as  Grandmother of Juneteenth, will lead the Fort Worth, TX walk along with her great-granddaughter, Robyn Sims, the daughter of Dione Sims 
• Dione Sims, Executive Director of Unity Unlimited, Inc., and granddaughter of Dr. Opal Lee, will lead the walk to carry forth the mantle in Evanston, IL.
• Robert Sims, Jr., the great-grandson of Dr. Opal Lee, will lead in Washington, D.C. 
• Radio Partner -Radio One 
• Various co-hosts, speakers, and artists
  

WHY

Juneteenth represents the triumph of freedom and the enduring pursuit of equality. In times when cultural events and expressions of freedom face challenges, our walk serves as a powerful reminder that the struggle to retain our hard-won freedoms benefits everyone. It is a moment to unite, reflect, and move forward together. Now, more than ever, it is imperative to celebrate the legacy of freedom that Juneteenth embodies, and your partnership, as a national organization with incredible influence and reach, is critical to ensuring that the celebration of our newest federal holiday on a grand scale reinforces our collective commitment to the ideals of freedom and progress.

APPROVED DR. OPAL LEE QUOTES

Juneteenth should be celebrated from the 19th of June to the 4th of July.

July 4th freed the land, but Juneteenth freed the people. 

The Opals Walk for Freedom Challenge

Activations on social media platforms are as follows:

• Register to walk
• Follow the movement: Facebook, Instagram: @juneteenth_strong
• Go LIVE on Instagram, join, and tag @therealopallee as you walk. 
• Post TikTok videos showing how you Show your 2.5.

HASHTAGS

#Opal100 

#2026OWF

NOTE TO EDITORS

• Opals Walk 2 DC began in 2016
• Ms. Opal Lee is a Medal of Freedom honoree, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, a recipient of several national awards, and a Texas Womens Hall of Fame inductee. 

ROUTE

No media vehicles are allowed along the walk route.

Media check-ins are from 4 am to 8 am at the venue entrances, where you will receive a media badge. You are required to apply for credentials – please register here 

For more information about the event, please refer to the 2026 National Opal’s Walk for Freedom press release 

Thank you for your cooperation in following these guidelines. We look forward to seeing you at the 2026 Opals Walk for Freedom.

About Unity Unlimited, Inc.

Unity Unlimited, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded by Dione Sims, the granddaughter of Dr. Opal Lee, that produces programs that help communities overcome racial, cultural, and economic division. The programs they produce provide educational activities and resources to people that foster unity and harmony regardless of race, culture, or denomination through initiatives such as Juneteenth Strong, a month-long event series celebrating freedom. The Partners and Sponsors support their mission of human dignity through education, culture, and opportunities. 

Visit Dr. Lees website: www.opalswalk2dc.com. 

View Dr. Opal Lees  EPK: https://adobe.ly/3hs3jg0 

View Dione Sims EPK: https://dionesimsepk.com/