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.”

Opal Lee, known to many as "The Grandmother of Juneteenth," will not participate in this year’s Walk for Freedom march due to a recent hospitalization.

When talking about Black liberation, celebration, and history, you must mention Opal Lee, affectionately known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth.