June 16, 2026

The Journey Continues: Ferris State celebrates the ‘Legacy of Juneteenth’ through celebrating Dr. Opal Lee’s impact

In a special event to honor the history and continued impact of Juneteenth, Ferris State University’s Office of Multicultural Student Services will host ‘The Journey Continues: The Legacy of Juneteenth’ celebration.

“Juneteenth is important to recognize because it represents freedom, resilience, and achievement,” said Christopher Sanders, Director of the Office of Multicultural Student Services. “It provides an opportunity to reflect on our nation's history and reaffirm our commitment to equity and inclusion.”

This year’s event will be focused on a presentation about the life and legacy of Dr. Opal Lee. The 99-year-old civil rights activist campaigned for decades to make Juneteenth a national holiday, which was in 2021.

Lee, a retired teacher and counselor, also earned a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2022 for her part in creating the Juneteenth holiday.

“In the past, we have focused on the holiday of Juneteenth itself. This year our Assistant Director Massiel Calderon had the great idea to highlight Dr. Opal Lee,” Sanders said. “Many people are still unaware of the work she has done, so it was a perfect opportunity to create community through learning.

Lee spent a large amount of time bringing more awareness not only about civil rights, but especially Juneteenth. At 90-years-old, she walked in cities nationwide until reaching Washington, D.C. to raise awareness, and in 2019 led the effort for an online petition that gained over 1.6 million signatures to advocate for the national holiday.

“We hope the attendees walk away with a better understanding of who Dr. Lee was and her importance to the national recognition of the Juneteenth holiday. We encourage them to stay after the presentation to learn more and connect with the Ferris State community,” he added.

Ferris State’s celebration will feature a community discussion immediately after the presentation about Lee.

The time spent will continue to commemorate June 19, 1865, which is the day enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally received word of their freedom—over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

The event will take place on Friday, June 19, at noon in Room 217 of the David Eisler Center, 805 Campus Drive. Students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to attend.

For accommodations, please contact the Office of Multicultural Student Services at (231) 591-2617 or [email protected] at least 72 hours in advance.