Latest news with #WalkforFreedom
Hindustan Times
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Kroger under fire for ‘Lazy' Juneteenth cakes: Watch
Kroger is under fire after a video showing a series of poorly decorated Juneteenth cakes went viral on TikTok. Juneteenth, a day commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the U.S., became a federal holiday in 2021. For generations, it has held deep cultural meaning in Black communities. So when cookie cakes featuring like 'FREE @ Last,' 'June 19 FREE,' and simply 'FREE' were seen sloppily decorated and on display at a Kroger in Georgia, it didn't take long for people online to respond. A post shared by GAFOLLOWERS 🍑 (@gafollowersnews) ALSO READ| Who is Opal Lee? 'Grandmother of Juneteenth' to skip Walk for Freedom march this year 'Who the hell made these ugly-a** s***? I wish there was a manager here because ya'll decorate everything else around here cute. Everything else around here cute, but for Juneteenth you want to just throw something on a freaking cookie cake and expect someone to buy it? That's bulls***,' one TikTok user responded. 'The cakes and cookies that were featured in the video were inconsistent with our provided guidance and not of the quality we would expect to see from our stores. The products have been removed, and we've addressed this directly with the store teams and the customer who took the initial video,' a Kroger spokesperson told Newsweek. 'This is a beautiful find of just absolute laziness. Absolute laziness. To be honest, you could have did absolutely nothing and the people would have been just as fine,' @L'lori summed up in a follow-up video. "I would have taken that "free" cookie cake. Lol 😂 'y'all said it was free,' one Instagram user torched. ALSO READ| Juneteenth celebrations near me: Events in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia on June 19 'Somebody made these right before they quit 😹,' another quipped. 'Looks like a fresh out of jail cake 😂😂,' one wrote.
Hindustan Times
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Leanna Perry: Drunk NYC plane passenger whose meltdown went viral is an artist who works with top brands
Leanna Perry, the drunk passenger who made headlines for grabbing a woman's hair on a Southwest Airlines flight, is an artist who has worked with top brands, New York Post reported. The 32-year-old New York City-based illustrator was handcuffed and escorted off the plane at LaGuardia Airport on Tuesday for her unruly behaviour and offensive comments. Video clips of her meltdown have since gone viral on social media, with witnesses claiming she seemed 'possessed' while throwing a violent fit. Perry, who was charged with aggravated assault, has worked as an artist for top brands like Maybelline, Adidas, MAC, Steve Madden, Hot Topic, and Shein, according to her social media handles. Last year, she joined beauty brand Maybelline as a leading designer. She has also collaborated with fashion designers Betsey Johnson and Nicole Miller, per her resume as reported by the outlet. Also Read: Who is Opal Lee? 'Grandmother of Juneteenth' to skip Walk for Freedom march this year While onboard the Southwest flight on Tuesday, Perry exhibited violent behaviour, grabbing a fellow passenger by her hair. In the now-viral videos of the bizarre incident, she is seen calling the woman a 'fat a** b**ch.' As other flyers and airline employees tried to restrain her, she began kicking and hurling insults at them. When a passenger told her to 'let go of' the woman's hair, the drunk passenger claimed she was not even touching her, despite being caught on camera. Also Read: CJ Mosley announces retirement: A look at Baltimore Ravens linebacker's NFL career The Port Authority Police said they responded to a 'report of an intoxicated passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight at Terminal B of LaGuardia Airport.' Meanwhile, a Southwest Airlines spokesperson told the outlet, 'The Customer involved in the incident was removed from the flight and denied boarding.' 'We commend our Team for their professionalism during the incident.'
Hindustan Times
19-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Who is Opal Lee? 'Grandmother of Juneteenth' to skip Walk for Freedom march this year
For the first time since 2016, Opal Lee will remain absent from the Walk for Freedom march this year. The 'Grandmother of Juneteenth' will not be participating in the event due to a recent hospitalization. The 98-year-old has remained a part of the event since it was started in 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. In May, it was reported that Lee was admitted to hospital while she was on her way to receive the International Freedom Conductor Award at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Ohio. Speaking to the Fort Worth Report on June 17, Lee's granddaughter, Dione Sims, said that the retired counselor is now 98 and the family 'really wants to keep her in.' Further, Sims told WFAA that while her grandmother's health prevented her from leading the Walk for Freedom, she was still planning to take part in it. The family has assured that the retired teacher will attend it virtually. Also read: What's open and closed on Juneteenth: Details on stock market, banks, post offices, Costco, Starbucks, Walmart and more Born on October 7, 1926, in Texas' Marshall, Opal Lee is a retired educator and counselor. Her parents relocated their three children to Fort Worth when she was 9. While growing up, she learned about Juneteenth from the annual celebrations in her neighborhood. She finished high school at 16 and later graduated in 1953 with a Bachelor's Degree in Education and a Minor in English from Wiley College in Marshall. She returned to university to get a Master's Degree in Educational Counseling and Guidance. According to the National Women's History Museum, her home was destroyed by a mob of around 500 people in 1939 during one such celebration. She decided most of her life to preserve the history of Juneteenth. She came into the spotlight in 2016, when she kickstarted a 1,400-mile trek from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C. at the age of 89. This was done to recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday. In 2021, then US President Joe Biden officially declared Juneteenth a federal holiday. Last year, Lee was awarded the Medal of Freedom, recognizing her pivotal role in the establishment of Juneteenth as a federal holiday in the US. Juneteenth is being observed on Thursday, June 19, this year. She taught within the Fort Worth Independent School District for a total of 15 years. She is 98 years old.
CBS News
12-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Opal Lee plans to participate in Juneteenth walk despite recent hospitalization, family says
The Grandmother of Juneteenth still plans to participate in Juneteenth activities despite a recent hospitalization, according to family. Opal's Walk for Freedom, named after Opal Lee, takes place on June 19 in Fort Worth, and Lee still plans to participate in the walk, her granddaughter said. "We ask for your positive thoughts and respectful consideration throughout the weekend," said Lee's granddaughter Dione Sims. "Her well-being remains our top priority, even as she continues to champion the freedom she has dedicated her life to advancing." Lee was hospitalized earlier this month for unknown reasons. It's also unknown if she's still hospitalized, but Sims said her health is being closely monitored and she's continuing her journey of healing. In a Facebook post on June 1, Lee thanked those who reached out to her to wish her well. Lee's annual 2.5-mile walk acknowledges the two and half years it took for news of freedom to reach those enslaved in Texas on June 19, 1865. Over the decades, the celebrations that followed became known as Juneteenth.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Opal Lee returns to Fort Worth after Ohio hospitalization
The Brief Opal Lee, the 98-year-old "grandmother of Juneteenth," has returned to Fort Worth after being hospitalized in Ohio. She's currently resting and not doing interviews, though she did take a call from former Vice President Kamala Harris. Lee will still participate in her Juneteenth Walk for Freedom on June 19, but will use a golf cart to conserve energy. FORT WORTH, Texas - Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth, is back in Fort Worth after being admitted to the hospital in Ohio. The 98-year-old returned home from her out-of-state hospital stay on Monday evening. Dionne Sims, Lee's granddaughter, says the 98-year-old has been resting, reading and staying in bed. For now, she is not doing any interviews to give her time to rest. What they're saying "I think one of the things she is most encouraging young people to do is to take Juneteenth, take the baton and go forward. you'll hear that, she's always said it. I think we just need to pay attention to what she said. She always said It's not a me thing. It's a we thing," said Sims. There is one call that Lee did take. Former vice president Kamala Harris called after she heard about her hospital stay. What they're saying "She had a big smile on her face, right. To think that the former vice president, would call to check in on her, really, it made us feel special. We all know that she is, but I don't think she realizes she is," Sims said. Lee's health is leading to some changes for her Juneteenth festivities, including her Walk for Freedom on June 19. She will still take part in the walk, but will be in a golf cart. What they're saying "It was always the plan to have my grandmother in a golf cart, one so we can finish in a timely manner, but it's just time," Sims said. "It is named for her but we definitely don't want to wear her out, so I think that is the name of the game, to keep her here as long as possible." The Source Information in this article comes from an interview with family members of Opal Lee.
