U.S. non-profit organization Unity Unlimited announced that 94-year-old social impact leader Ms. Opal Lee is working with ten-time NBA All-Star and philanthropist, Carmelo Anthony, and talent and sports agency CAA’s Amplify platform on a special livestream event to discuss efforts and actions to make Juneteenth a national holiday. The event streamed live on March 24th.
“Juneteenth: The Road To Unity,” featured a conversation between Ms. Opal and Anthony to discuss the Juneteenth movement and Ms. Opal’s mission.
The event also included a conversation between U.S. Representative Marc Veasey and CAA’s Head of U.S. Government Affairs, Ty Bland, who outlined the legislative steps required to make Juneteenth a national holiday and the steps to take to support the cause. The event also included appearances from U.S. Senator John Cornyn and U.S. Senator Tina Smith, among others.
The event was brought to life by Ms. Opal’s charity, Unity Unlimited, Inc., The Carmelo Anthony Foundation, CAA Amplify and marketing agency [INVNT GROUP], who are united in their passion for helping Ms. Opal bring awareness to the significance of commemorating the abolition of slavery on a national level with a holiday.
Commenting on the event, Ms. Opal said: “This little old lady is so excited to be working with all of these talented young people to help bring the Juneteenth message of unity to America and the world with this special event. I can’t wait to talk all things Juneteenth with Carmelo, and I really hope you can join us. While I have you, please sign our holiday petition if you haven’t already!”
“I’m inspired by changemakers like Ms. Opal who recognize the importance of raising awareness around the past in order to create a more equal future,” said Anthony. “It’s an honor to join her mission to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday and spread the message of unity during a time when we need it most.”
Ruben Garcia, Co-Head of the Cultural Business Strategy Group at CAA added: “CAA Amplify is thrilled to be joining Unity Unlimited and [INVNT GROUP] in supporting Ms. Opal and the millions of Americans in our country who believe Juneteenth should be a nationally recognized holiday. We see Juneteenth as arguably one of the most significant events in our lifetime; it’s a unifier and represents a major step towards balancing the social injustice we are all experiencing, and we’re excited to have Ms. Opal join us for this special event.”
