Dione Sims on Opal Lee, Juneteenth’s History, and More!

I was incredibly excited and honored to have Dione Sims join the program. When we recorded this episode, we were about one month out from celebrating Juneteenth 2025, which also marked the celebration of the fourth anniversary of KBLA Talk 1580 as a radio station. So, continuing with that conversation, we brought in Sims, who has amazing insights and experience and can speak to current legal and policy issues. During this riveting episode of our podcast, Juneteenth’s explained by an activist with a deep-rooted connection to the movement who has been on the front lines of advancing it.

I strongly encourage you to tune into our recent riveting discussion with Dione Sims on the Legal Lens Podcast. At only 30 minutes long, it’s a convenient and gripping way to digest and metabolize information about a crucial topic of discussion. You can find us conveniently on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Simplecast, and everywhere you get your podcasts for free.

Dione Sims Joins the Legal Lens Podcast to Discuss Opal Lee, Juneteenth’s History & Importance, Opal’s Walks for Freedom, Opal’s Farm, Unity Unlimited, and More!

During my riveting episode with Sims, we talked about her incredible work and the continuing legacy of her grandmother, Opal Lee. We also had a candid discussion about the importance of Juneteenth and the movement for it to become a nationally recognized holiday. Now, let’s start by taking a deeper look at the inspiring woman behind it all.

Who is Dione Sims?

Dione Sims is the president and founder of Unity Unlimited, a non-profit organization designed to help carry forth the work of her grandmother, Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth and the Juneteenth movement.

This movement, clearly, is in her blood, so I couldn’t think of anyone better to have this candid discussion with. Sims is a friendly and calming presence, though it is evident she shares the same drive and passion for advocacy as her grandmother.

Sims is an inspiring figure and a champion of justice in her own right, and she has accomplished much in her career. She is proud to be continuing the legacy of Grandmother Lee.

“We’re gearing up right now,” said Sims, “because we took a break. We needed a breather after a very beautiful Walk in Fort Worth, Los Angeles, and cities across the country – across the globe, actually. So, right now, we’re just gearing up for 2026. It looks like it’s going to be a march for freedom that shows folks what Juneteenth and freedom look like and the unity it brings.”

I noted that Grandmother Lee may be a century old, but you would never guess it from how spirited she is during her TV and news appearances before asking Sims to share her story.

“I’ve always been in the background of my grandmother’s work,” laughed Sims, “because Texas is so hot and being in the park wasn’t really my thing, but I found other ways to contribute. I’m an IT person by vocation, so I would work on her programs, souvenir books, marketing, and that stuff for years, but in 2014, I actually went to the park and was watching her finish the almost three-mile parade she was leading at 80. I watched her run to jump on the stage to open up and greet everybody, and I just remember thinking that she’s working too hard at 86, and it’s time to help her come into the new millennium. At the time, I thought that she just needed to get on social media and get some web pages, and it would be easier to get the message out there.”

After seeing how much her grandmother was working and the support she needed to bring her movement to the modern age, Sims did what every good grandchild does when their grandparent is in need: she offered to help.

“I asked her if I could help elevate and take what she was doing to the next level to modernize things,” recalled Sims, “and she said I could. That was in 2014. We’ve been working together ever since.”

Sims discussed her grandmother’s far-reaching legacy and the importance of continuing it, as well as the history she made with the Juneteenth celebration in Fort Worth.

“My grandmother is one of two that started in the seventies, about 1975, to have large Juneteenth celebrations in Fort Worth,” said Sims, “and everybody else that started with them has passed on. So it’s really about making sure the legacy continues, the Juneteenth celebration continues, and that young people understand their place in it so that when our elders do pass on, Juneteenth doesn’t die out.”

Who is Opal Lee?

As we mentioned, Opal Lee is widely considered the grandmother of Juneteenth. Grandmother Lee’s work played a pivotal role in President Joe Biden signing Juneteenth as a national holiday in 2021.

Lee was born Opal Flake in Marshall, Texas, and she and her family would eventually relocate to Fort Worth, Texas, when she was 10 years old. When she was just 12 years old, on June 19th, 1939, a mob burned down her family’s home in what is considered a racially motivated attack.

This attack had a profound impact on Opal, and this traumatic experience would eventually go on to spur her unrelenting activism around making Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday.

In the 1970s, Grandmother Lee began an annual 2.5-mile walk that symbolized the two and a half years it took for Emancipation News to reach the state of Texas.

At the age of 89, in 2016, she proved to be as virile as ever, showing no signs of slowing down as she marched from Fort Worth to Washington D.C. through various cities. Along the way, she gathered 1.5 million petition signatures.

These signatures, ultimately, led to President Joe Biden signing Juneteenth as a federal holiday on June 17th, 2021. Since this momentous achievement, Grandmother Lee has received a Presidential Medal of Freedom and rebuilt the house that was destroyed in 1939.

She moved into this house in 2024 and continues to inspire from year to year with Opal’s Walk of Freedom. She is 99 years old and will be 100 in 2026, the same year the United States will celebrate its 250th birthday. It will also be the fifth anniversary of Juneteenth being a national holiday.

“Well, she says she’s in her 99th year,” joked Sims for clarification, “so she is actually 98 and will be 99 in October on her birthday.”

What is Making of a Movement?

During our discussion, we also touched on some exciting news – Sims has a book coming out called Making of a Movement that chronicles the journey of Grandmother Lee and her work around making sure Juneteenth continues being acknowledged and celebrated.”

“The book isn’t out yet,” said Sims, “but it’s my version of how we got the movement for Juneteenth – not necessarily just the national holiday, but her component of the campaign and walking campaign that helped get it across the threshold. I like to frame it as she was kind of the straw that broke the camel’s back because we had been working as an organization, the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation with the late, great Dr. Ronald Myers for over 20 years to get this done and get people to understand the importance of Juneteenth as a national holiday and day of observance.”

Sims said that Grandmother Lee’s walking campaign that Sims engineered was pivotal to spreading awareness and bringing it to the forefront, providing a glimpse into how this movement was born.

“You know, you see a 90-year-old lady wanting to walk across, it has an impact,” laughed Sims, “and when she told me she wanted to do this walk to D.C. and talk to President Obama about Juneteenth being a national holiday after we finished her whole month of Juneteenth events, I said, ‘Grandma, you know that’s 1,440 miles, right?’ She said she wanted to do two and a half miles in the morning and two and a half in the afternoon to signify the two and a half years that it took for enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach the slaves in Texas.”

Sims shared a funny interaction between her grandmother, father, and herself that highlighted the tenacity and unrelenting idealism that has fueled and continues to fuel her grandmother’s amazing and trailblazing work as an advocate, civil rights activist, and, ultimately, a matriarch.

“I told her that Obama’s going to be gone by the time she gets there,” laughed Sims, “and she said, ‘Oh, he’s not going to let me walk the whole time. He is going to see me and call me to the Oval Office.’ I remember calling my dad and telling him about his mom’s plans, a little concerned, and I remember him telling me, ‘Well, you’re not going to be able to stop her.’ Because this is just who she is. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to get in trouble for putting pen to paper and making her dream come true. I was just trying to make sure my bases were covered.”

With that, Sims said she got to work positioning her grandmother as a leader.

“So, from that, I started making the brand,” remembered Sims, “and that’s how the Grandmother of Juneteenth and the movement came to be. The first walk was Opal’s Walk to D.C. Then we had Opal Lee’s Walk of Freedom. Now, since we’ve gotten the holiday, we do the walk annually. But I remember when she came to me with that, and it just hit me that my job is to bring her vision to life – because she is a visionary in her own right – and I got to work building out a plan and an infrastructure to get that done. So, the book chronicles the making of that movement.”

Next, we got into the question: Is Juneteenth a national holiday? Because Sims has a special connection to the answer.

Is Juneteenth a Federal Holiday?

Yes, on June 17th, 2021, former President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which is when Juneteenth became a federal holiday and was signed into law. In fact, Sims was present when former President Biden signed that bill.

“It was really special to be there and see that effort,” beamed Sims with pride, “and I remember being there on that day and my cheekbones hurting from smiling so hard because I remember telling my grandmother as we embarked on her part of making Juneteenth a national holiday, ‘You’re going to be invited to the White House, and I’m going to be with you. You’re going to be there when it’s signed into law, and we were.”

Sims also shared a beautiful moment and memory from this unforgettable day that is now immortalized as a part of United States history, along with her and Grandmother Lee.

“Did you see the President bow his knee to my grandmother?” she effused. “I mean, you just can’t get past those things,” she added.

Which President Made Juneteenth a Holiday?

Grandmother Lee would get President Obama’s attention as she intended to, but he was not the one to sign Juneteenth into a holiday. As we have mentioned, former President Joe Biden would be the one to make Juneteenth a holiday and sign it into law. Sims reflected on what influenced Biden.

“I think it just comes down to knowing and doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do is the underlying thing we need to take away from that, the subtext of it,” ruminated Sims on not just why former President Biden signed this holiday into law but the broader idea of what Juneteenth means to her, her grandmother, and people across the country.

Next, we dove into the answer to an important question to understand Sims’ and her grandmother’s mission: What is Juneteenth, and why is it important? She provided some important Juneteenth background to know.

What is Juneteenth Day, and Why is it Celebrated?

This, ultimately, begs the question at the heart of this movement and why it’s so vital: What does Juneteenth celebrate? Sims explained that nothing happens in a vacuum before providing some essential context and insights into the events surrounding the inception of this movement.

“Juneteenth represents the freedom for everybody to enjoy what it is to be an American,” explained Sims, impassioned as ever, when asked to explain to our listeners what Juneteenth means, and, just as importantly, what Juneteenth celebrates, “so as we entered 2020 with the pandemic and we were facing the murder of George Floyd and the uptick in the national consciousness compared to the previous administration before Biden of vitriol and division and hatred coming to the forefront.”

Sims said that this cultural and historical context illustrates why Juneteenth is important.

“We had started one of the components of the Opal Lee Juneteenth walk campaign that was an online petition,” said Sims, “and we got 1.5 million signatures on that petition that we delivered to Congress in support of making Juneteenth a national holiday. What we realized was that this kind of overwhelming support was a result of people looking for a way to have and use their voice to support this movement during this time in a substantial way. It’s really a testament to the widespread support of the African American community at the time because they saw that what was happening wasn’t right. Making Juneteenth a holiday gives credence to the fact that there was imposed slavery on a group of people that has been oppressed for years. When you see that overwhelming support, how could you not support something that could bring the country together, and I think President Biden, the Senate, and the House saw it and could appreciate it and agree that Juneteenth as a national holiday was good for the country.”

“Juneteenth means freedom for everybody,” said Sims, “and everybody plays a part in making sure that freedom is protected. Right now, all of us need to be fighting and doing what we can to make sure we don’t lose in this game. Because it’s being treated like a game, but this is our lives. So we have to work to protect that freedom every day.”

What is Unity Unlimited?

Next, our conversation turned to Unity Unlimited, a non-profit organization designed to continue the work of Sims’ grandmother, Opal Lee, and all things associated with justice and peace in our society. She founded this organization 25 years ago and is also the president of it.

“I founded it in 2000 as a non-profit to help bring people together, starting with our young people,” recalled Sims, “because what I could see now 25 years ago was this creeping back in of division and prejudice and profiling that was separating us. I noticed it kind of seeping into our cultural and ethnic silos, and I remember thinking young people have to learn how to work together because when they grow up and get jobs, they’re going to be working with different cultures. And that diversity training and exposure was something that they really needed to have more of – I saw it was a need then and knew this need would only grow.”

She said that they shortly got to work educating the youth, saying that through this work, she has gained a greater understanding of the issue and the important role that Juneteenth has.

“We started working with our young people,” Sims said, “and the mission of uniting people and giving them resources and educating them about others blossomed. I realized that they just needed the right platform. When I asked my grandmother to help her with her mission again, it was for folks to see the unifying effect that Juneteenth has – that’s why Juneteenth is celebrated. My grandmother always says that Juneteenth is the great unifier, and it allows us to show people and highlight folks who helped to free the slaves, as well as the allyship that we’ve always had. It’s really just spreading awareness of the full Juneteenth history and getting people to see that they can celebrate to find themselves in the Juneteenth story. We had white abolitionists and Black abolitionists working together to free the enslaved and help them escape to the North.”

Sims also said that new facts about Juneteenth history are coming to light that she believes should unify people even more.

“What’s coming to light now is the fact that there was a Southern underground railroad into Mexico,” continued Sims, “and the Mexicans gave asylum to escaped slaves. So, now we have Latinx representation there as well. The work we do is really all about helping people find themselves in the freedom that Juneteenth represents.”

Sims continued by saying that this notion of freedom is at the heart of their mission, Juneteenth history, and what Juneteenth represents.

“We understand the freedom we have and the choices and resources that are available,” said Sims, “and we make the most of them. When our ancestors got the news that they were free, it was like, free to do what? What does that really mean, and what help do I have to exercise that freedom? Well, they didn’t get very many resources and had to come up with their own, but they knew they had a choice. They could either stay where they were or go to make their lives better. A lot of them left and took Juneteenth with them, which is how it spread across the country. So now you’re seeing a large Juneteenth celebration in every state, from California to Wisconsin to New Jersey to Philadelphia, even before it was a national holiday. Because we took it with us. We were glad to be free.”

Sims would go on to add that this is part of why Unity Unlimited dedicates itself to helping people understand and educating them on the value and the power that we have as a platform with Juneteenth – pride and the importance of knowledge.

She would also go on to cite Unity Unlimited’s three pillars: educate, empower, and entertain, saying that they try to see things in a bigger picture and provide those resources. I applauded her efforts, calling them Juneteenth in action.

“That is a great way to put it,” smiled Sims, “because we are all about putting it into action, making it a verb and not just a noun. Juneteenth is not just a celebration. It’s something we can do because freedom is 24/7, 365. If we can see Juneteenth in that light to make sure that we protect it at all costs and that we’re doing the most with it, not just sidelining it, but understanding that you have resources and options to keep the message alive. That’s the educational component of Juneteenth. We also provide resources and education on business and entrepreneurship, and job and career training for career advancement. Because the pandemic showed people that their side hustle could become their main hustle. When jobs went away, folks had to be laid off, and they had to survive. So their hobbies became the selling point with the Internet and technology.”

What is Opal’s Farm?

Sims said that another thing that Unity Unlimited has is something called Opal’s Farm, which she talks about with pride, that showcases the incredible importance of the work they are doing.

“We live in a food desert here in our area,” explained Sims, “so we are an urban farm within the city, and we’ve got about 13 acres that we lease from Tarrant Regional Water District that allows us to give people the fresh, nutritious food they deserve. This year, we put out more than 15,000 pounds of fresh produce, and we give some to the food bank. We also sell it at markets. We also have a local market that has a reduced price, and they also accept SNAP and EBT.”

Sims said this is just one of many projects, programs, and initiatives that Unity Unlimited has in progress, saying that everything is in the spirit of Juneteenth – freedom of the individual and empowering all to work together to push forward.

“We’re also working with medical societies and medical schools to develop a program to turn food into a prescriptive right to help combat the things we’re facing from the overprocessed foods we’re eating,” Sims elaborated, “so looking at food as medicine, too. We’re also developing programs to reduce recidivism by working on the farms. They can come out and find self-worth in having learned a valuable life skill. We’re really about enriching and empowering the lives of people by helping them find worth so their time served isn’t wasted.”

Sims said another initiative on Opal’s Farm that she is excited about is teaching people community gardening.

“We’re giving people a 10 by 10 plot of land,” Sims said, “and we just had our first cohort from January to June. People had the chance to learn from the ground, tilling the ground, preparing it, sowing, harvesting, and then marketing their 10 by 10 plot of land. They got a certificate of completion.”

What States Have Also Passed Juneteenth as a State Holiday?

We then turned toward the current political climate and Juneteenth as legislation, which Sims is well-versed in.

“Nationally, many states already had days on which Juneteenth was observed in their legislatures,” said Sims, “even before it became a national holiday. As a matter of fact, Dr. Ronald Myers had worked with 43 states to form National Days of observance in their states, and then corporations followed that lead, and companies started giving employees Juneteenth off as an option. I know Virginia and some other states have officially made Juneteenth a state holiday for their government workers.”

Sims said that part of the hurdle is businesses adapting.

“In the private sector, this kind of stuff takes time,” said Sims, “and it takes companies adjusting their HR policies and making it a paid holiday for employees. So it’s rolling out across the country and the globe, actually, because a lot of international companies do business here in the U.S., so when you see the impact of Juneteenth and giving people the opportunity to celebrate, it makes an impression for sure.”

Are People Still Continuing to Celebrate Juneteenth in this Current Climate?

We then broached a heavy and more severe topic – where does this concept of freedom fit in the current time with ICE raids, DEI challenges, and Medicaid funding cuts? Because these are things we view as almost inseparable from our freedoms today.

“One thing that Juneteenth means for me is the fact that our voice is our vote,” said Sims, “so when we’re talking about stopping the hemorrhaging of what’s eroding the democracy of our country, the power of the individual and one of the freedoms that was gained when emancipation came was the freedom to legislate and to own property and not be property. It granted the freedom to make choices. It’s simple things like dressing how you want to and marrying who you want to be able to keep your children. But in today’s climate, people are scared they’re going to be separated from their family, and that’s horrifying to see.”

For Sims, however, hope is far from lost, as she says that now is the time to vote and let your voice be heard.

“The best way that we can combat this is to exercise our freedom to vote,” continued Sims, rousing as ever, “and we’ve got mid-term elections coming up that can help stop that hemorrhaging by getting the right people into Congress and into the Senate that are protecting the rights of everybody. If we understand the freedom and liberty that comes with voting and making sure that folks are not only registered to vote but actually make it to the polls to vote, then we take that power back. Your vote does count.”

Sims also urged people to understand that Juneteenth transcends race.

“The freedom that Juneteenth represents isn’t just a black thing,” said Sims, “and it isn’t just a Texas thing. Juneteenth means freedom for everybody, and everybody plays a part in making sure that freedom is protected.”

What Is On the Horizon for Unity Unlimited, Opal Lee, and Juneteenth?

Finally, our conversation turned toward the future as Dione Sims, Unity Unlimited, and Opal Lee work toward preparing for 2026, and how people like you can become involved.

“Obviously, Grandmother Lee’s 100th birthday is in 2026,” said Sims, “but we are also celebrating the fifth anniversary of Juneteenth becoming a national holiday in the United States. It’s also our country’s 250th birthday. We’ve always believed that we should celebrate freedom from the 19th of June to the 4th of July. We are having 50 walks all across the country, one in every state, and we want people to walk with us. We’re going to be in D.C., in the nation’s capital, across the country, and we’re going to set up 50 branded walks simultaneously to put action to Juneteenth and represent the unity that is at the heart of this holiday.”

Sims said that if you are not able to make it to one of the Opal’s 50 Walks of Freedom, then you can still join virtually.

“If we’re not going to be in a city near you, walk with us virtually on Juneteenth, wherever you are,” said Sims, “so having that virtual component is really important – we try to have that every year. We’re probably going to be international, too, with walks in different countries. We’ve done it in Japan twice, for example.”

If you are interested in participating in a walk that will push our nation further down the path toward change, then I strongly encourage you to visit www.opalswalkforfreedom.org to nominate your city.

To get more information on walking and how to participate, go to www.opalswalk.com for resources.

Do You Want to Learn More About Dione Sims, Opal Lee, Juneteenth, Unity Unlimited, Opal’s Walk for Freedom, and Opal Farm? Listen and Subscribe to the Legal Lens Podcast!

This week’s compelling conversation with Dione Sims on the Legal Lens Podcast offers a crucial and timely examination of the Juneteenth movement and the incredible legacy of her grandmother, Opal Lee. Sims’ insights shed light on the profound importance of Juneteenth as a unifier and a call to action, not just a day of celebration, underscoring the unwavering dedication of leaders like Sims and Lee working to protect and empower communities. It’s clear that while freedom and justice face significant threats, the resilience of communities, actively championed by organizations like Unity Unlimited, is more vital than ever.

As we continue to navigate these critical issues, understanding how you can be a part of the solution is vital. You can ensure you are informed and equipped with the knowledge you need by listening and subscribing to my podcast on Simplecast or by clicking below!

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This communication is not legal advice. It is educational only. For legal advice, consult with an experienced employment law attorney in your state or city.

Dione Sims on Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth, Juneteenth’s History & Importance, Opal’s Walks for Freedom, Opal’s Farm, Unity Unlimited, and More!