Not long after college, I worked for Fort Worth PR firm Pavlik and Associates. Linda Pavlik was a great mentor, and it was It was a quite the learning experience for a newbie. One of my first assignments was working with Opal Lee to publicize her annual Juneteenth celebration. The mission of the Juneteenth Celebration was to promote brotherhood, human dignity and an appreciation for diversity while celebrating an important day in African American history with the general community. This was my first major endeavor with diversity, equity and inclusion and its importance to our society. I learned a lot from Ms. Opal Lee.
I learned to dream big. Every time I sent Opal a draft press release to review, and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t by email, she had more things to add to it. The event started out as a music festival with a book signing and health fair. Then it grew to include a fun run, senior citizen prom and gospelfest. Then an art exhibit was added along with a fireworks show and Miss Juneteenth Pageant. And then a musical performance at Bass Hall. Just like its organizer, the event had no limits.
I learned to be flexible. I published a schedule for the media two weeks before the event and it changed. And then it changed. And it changed again. Artists rescheduled on a whim. Opal rearranged events to make things flow better or to accommodate a schedule conflict. She didn’t bat an eye and handled it all with grace.
Finally, I learned perseverance. During the 1980s, Opal took Fort Worth city leaders on an annual bus tour through economically challenged areas of Fort Worth. She started the four-day (that’s right, four day) Juneteenth celebration in 1993 and continued to host it for several years. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed Senate Bill S. 475 making Juneteenth the eleventh federal holiday. That’s at least 40 years that Opal Lee fought for awareness, inclusion and equity. And at the age of 93, she got her wish.
Don’t give up. Keep asking the tough questions. Continue to bring awareness to an issue. If you don’t get the answer you want, find someone else. It might take 40 years, but you can make a difference.
I wonder what Opal’s next project will be?