Ballet dancer Misty Copeland and “grandmother of Juneteenth” Opal Lee will be among the guests at the 44th National Assembly of The Links this week in Grapevine, according to event organizers.
The Links is a social service organization led by African American women. Members include Vice President Kamala Harris, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
The event will honor people making a mark in their fields and will be held at the Gaylord Texan Resort on June 19 through 23.
In 2015, Copeland made history as the first African American principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre. A longtime advocate for diversity in ballet, she launched a namesake foundation in 2022 that provides children in under-resourced communities with access to after-school dance programs. She has also been vocal on the need for pointe shoes that reflect a range of skin tones.
Other guests and speakers at the Grapevine event this week include the Rev. Frederick Haynes III, senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, and Fort Worth native Opal Lee.
Lee is known for championing the push for federal recognition of Juneteenth, the day enslaved Black people in Galveston received word of the Emancipation Proclamation.
“This National Assembly affords our organization the opportunity to celebrate trailblazers, elevate our advocacy and serve the global community at a higher and more impactful way than ever before,” said Ethel Isaacs Williams, the organization’s national president, in a statement.
There will be a variety of workshops in the conference’s programming covering topics such as civic service, activism in the arts and financial literacy.
The assembly will also celebrate the 45th anniversary of The Links Foundation, with a benefit concert featuring Grammy Award-winning jazz musician Gregory Porter. The foundation, which is the philanthropic branch of Links, is dedicated to giving grants in service of issues that particularly affect communities of African descent.
