FORT WORTH, TX, March 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- U.S. non-profit organization Unity Unlimited today 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 will stream on Wednesday, March 24, at 1pm PDT / 4pm EDT at amplify.caa.com/juneteenth/.
"Juneteenth: The Road To Unity," will feature a conversation between Ms. Opal and Anthony to discuss the Juneteenth movement and Ms. Opal’s mission.
The event will also include a conversation between U.S. Representative Marc Veasey and CAA’s Head of U.S. Government Affairs, Ty Bland, who will outline the legislative steps required to make Juneteenth a national holiday and the steps to take to support the cause. The event will also include appearances from U.S. Senator John Cornyn and U.S. Senator Tina Smith, among others.
In an effort to raise awareness of Ms. Opal’s mission and drive education around the day, "Juneteenth: The Road To Unity," will be open to all members of the public, and updates and highlights will be shared via CAA Amplify’s social channels.
The event is 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."
###
Join Ms. Opal and Carmelo Anthony for the, "Juneteenth: The Road To Unity" event here.
Sign Ms. Opal’s petition to make Juneteenth a national holiday here.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caaamplify/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/caafoundation
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caafoundation/
About Ms. Opal Lee
Ms. Opal is the oldest living board member of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) that was founded and led by the late Dr. Ronald Myers, Sr., whose initiative is for Juneteenth to become a national holiday. To bring awareness to the cause, she started her Opal’s Walk 2 DC campaign in 2016, where she walked 2.5 miles to symbolize the 2.5 years that it took for slaves in Texas to know that they were free. Ms. Opal launched a petition to make Juneteenth a national holiday on Change.org, and in September 2020 delivered the 1.5 million signatures it had received to Congress. Ms. Opal believes that freedom should be celebrated from the 19th of June to the 4th of July. Head to http://adobe.ly/3hs3jg0 for more.
About Carmelo Anthony
A leader and pioneer on the basketball court, Carmelo Anthony has led a storied career as both a ten-time NBA All-Star and three-time gold medal Olympian. His legacy continues on the court today with the Portland Trail Blazers, as well as off the court with his many other brands, business ventures, and philanthropic organizations on a global platform. As an outspoken activist against racial injustice and inequality, Anthony is a leading voice in the ongoing fight for social justice and equality for all.
About The Carmelo Anthony Foundation
Carmelo Anthony founded the Carmelo Anthony Foundation over 15 years ago as a vehicle for actionable change focused on community impact through a variety of outreach programs, disaster relief initiatives, and donations. The non-profit has since established programs to refurbish basketball courts in underserved communities, provide families in need with food and personal supplies during the holidays, provide much-needed disaster relief in the wake of tragedies such as super storm Sandy, the Flint Water Crisis, Hurricane Maria, and continues today in championing open discussion and actionable change to propel the Black community and progress forward.
About Unity Unlimited, Inc.
Unity Unlimited, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose main mission is providing educational activities and resources to people, young and old, to foster unity and harmony within the community, the city, the state, the nation and the world regardless of race, culture or denomination. For more information visit: www.unityunlimited.org/
About Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is the leading entertainment and sports agency, with global expertise in filmed and live entertainment, digital media, publishing, sponsorship sales and endorsements, media finance, consumer investing, fashion, trademark licensing, and philanthropy. Distinguished by its culture of collaboration and exceptional client service, CAA’s diverse workforce identifies, innovates, and amplifies opportunities for the people and organizations that shape culture and inspire the world.
About [INVNT GROUP]™
[INVNT GROUP] was established in 2020 with a vision to provide consistent, meaningful, well-articulated BrandStory across all platforms. Headed up by President and CEO, Scott Cullather, [INVNT GROUP], THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT™ represents a growing portfolio of complementary disciplines designed to help forward-thinking organizations everywhere, impact the audiences that matter, anywhere. The GROUP consists of modern brand strategy firm, Folk Hero; creative-led culture consultancy, Meaning; branded content studio and content marketing agency HEVĒ, and the global live brand storytelling agency, INVNT™. For more information about [INVNT GROUP] visit: www.invntgroup.com/
Attachments