Opal's Walk for Freedom - A Nationwide Camp Initiative
On June 19, 2025, camps across the country will have the opportunity to participate in Opal’s Walk for Freedom — an event honoring the legacy of Juneteenth and the continued pursuit of justice, education, and unity in America.
This is an opportunity to raise awareness about the significance of Juneteenth and the impact of education, advocacy, and community engagement in shaping a more inclusive and informed society. By participating in this walk, camps can highlight their commitment to fostering values of freedom, resilience, and historical awareness in youth development spaces.
Focusing on our youth and young adults, Opal’s Walk for Freedom will showcase the dedication of the camp community to teaching history through active engagement. Camps will have the chance to integrate the walk into their programming,reinforcing the importance of community, learning, and action. These values are already part of the camp experience, and by participating in this initiative, camps will help inspire a new generation of community-driven leaders.
Opal’s Walk for Freedom began as a movement led by Dr. Opal Lee, whose dedication to making Juneteenth a national holiday has impacted thousands. Through this event, camps and youth-serving organizations can join a nationwide effort to continue sharing the message that freedom and justice are for all.
The Real Opal Lee
Ms. Opal is a voice of history with a message for the future. Many consider her the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” but if you ask her who she is, she will tell you she’s “just a little old lady in tennis shoes getting in everybody’s business.”
The Legend
at 89 years old she started her walking campaign for Juneteenth holiday awareness and launched an online petition that garnered 1.6 million signatures in support of the very idea. On June 17, 2021 she was present at the White House when President Biden signed the Juneteenth Independence Day Act that established June 19th of every year a national holiday.
At 96 years old, Dr. Opal Lee is still determined to see the Juneteenth national holiday be a reflective point of the year where we ask "Are we free yet?" because as she puts it "None of us are free if we're not all free." Conducting her annual walk all over the country will remind us to check the progress we've made.
Contact information
- Event contact
- Christen Peterson
- cpeterson@acacamps.org
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