Over the weekend, Juneteenth
celebrations happened across the country,
and especially right here in North Texas.
Hundreds of people here showed
up for Miss Ophelia's walk for
freedom in downtown Fort Worth.
They marched 2 1/2 miles to represent
the 2 1/2 years that it took for
enslaved people here in the South to
learn that they were finally free.
Juneteenth is especially significant
this year because it marks one year
since President Joe Biden signed a
bill making it a federal holiday.
Here's the story of how family
members torn apart by slavery.
Were able to dig up their roots.
Kenneth Moton has more.
I'm alone, these women are their ancestors.
Wildest dreams. My name is Hawkins Wilson.
Hawkins Wilson,
born into slavery in Virginia,
sold as a boy torn away from his family.
Dear Sir, from Galveston TX.
Wilson wrote these letters
two years after the Civil War
ended looking for his sisters.
I'm writing you tonight, my dear sister.
I'm writing you tonight, my dear sister
with my Bible in my hand, praying.
Like so many black Americans curious
about their roots, Kelly Dixon Tiller
of Houston started the journey using
ancestry.com Kelly.
Why did you decide to go on this
journey of tracing your roots?
I wanted to stay closer
to my grandparents.
I wanted to dig more.
Kelly and her mother,
Alva Marie Jenkins,
learned they're the second and third
great granddaughters of Hawkins Wilson.
His letters also detailed his life of love,
family and faith in Galveston,
the birthplace of June.
Teeth commemorating the end of slavery.
The letters, now part of the
National Archives,
were never delivered.
Today is that time for his
story to be shared.
Wilson's words featured in a
powerful new documentary by Ancestry,
a Dream delivered the lost
letters of Hawkins Wilson.
This story is is really kind of a
reminder that we should be chasing
their voices hearing from them their
perspective and and using that to
kind of guide us. Going forward,
the clues in Wilson's letters led to this
moment in Virginia for the first time,
Kelly and her mother meeting
Linda Epps Parker and Valerie Gray
Holmes. Also descendants of Hawkins
Wilson. Meet your family. Fire.
I felt a connectedness to them,
it just was genuine.
We were there for their second reunion.
It was Jesse's emotional.
God bless you. I'm so proud. So
more than 150 years after Hawkins Wilson
wrote his letters on this Juneteenth,
his descendants say he achieved
his dream to reunite his family
for Good Morning America.
Kenneth Moten ABC News, Washington.
Now the only known original copy of
that document that was read in Galveston
announcing the end of slavery is now on
display at the Hall of State in Dallas.
General Gordon Granger.
He read from what's known as General
Order number three when he pronounced all
enslaved people here in Texas were free.
You can go see it for yourself right now.
It's going to remain on display at
Fair Park throughout the summer.
Now what? You're after?
President Biden signed.
That bill making Juneteenth.
The federal holiday 32 states
have not passed legislation.
To recognize it as a state holiday with pay.
That's according to the
Congressional Research Service.
That's why our team here at WFA has
been working very hard to share stories
of its history and significance.
You can actually watch our full
Juneteenth special right now with Miss
Opal Lee on WFA plus our WFA plus app
that's on your Roku or Amazon Fire TV.
It is free to download.
Check out grandmother Juneteenth.
A conversation with Miss Opal Lee.