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Fort Worth ISD Closed for Juneteenth Holiday

Fort Worth ISD will be closed on Wednesday, June 19, to honor the Juneteenth holiday.

Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in the South were emancipated in Texas. The holiday, also known as “Emancipation Day,” became a federal holiday in 2021, with large thanks to FWISD alumna and former educator Opal Lee.

Lee, also known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth, was a major advocate for getting the day recognized as a federal holiday. Her countless hours of work and dedication resulted in the national holiday recognition for the historic day.

“Make yourself a committee of one to change somebody’s mind,” Lee said at the White House’s inaugural Juneteenth celebration. “If people can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love.”

There will be several opportunities around Fort Worth to celebrate the holiday. The annual Ms. Opal’s Walk for Freedom will be in Dallas, register here. The 2.5 mile walk symbolizes the two and a half years it took for word and enforcement of liberation to reach Texas. 

District offices will reopen and Summer Learning will resume at normal hours on Thursday, June 20.