Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is urging current and former teammates to walk 2.5 miles on Friday in support of Opal Lee’s quest to make Juneteenth a national holiday.
McCoy took to Instagram on Thursday to make his pledge for the 93-year-old Lee, who is set to walk 2.5 miles each day from Fort Worth to Washington D.C. for the second time in four years. McCoy tagged a number of players in his post, like DeMarcus Lawrence, Jaylon Smith and Tyrone Crawford.
Lee, a retired school teacher, has championed the cause to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Juneteenth celebrated the official ending of slavery when Gen. Gordon Granger read orders on June 19, 1865 in Galveston, Texas, that all slaves were free some 18 months after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on Jan. 1, 1863.
“I’m challenging all you guys, go live on all your social media,” McCoy said on Instagram. “We’re going to walk 2.5 miles on Friday. Let’s make Juneteenth a national holiday.”
The Cowboys are among more than 20 teams that will give employees off on Friday to recognize Juneteenth. The NFL announced on June 12 its offices would be closed in recognition of Juneteenth.