By Rev. Walter McDonald, 10th Episcopal District
Under the leadership of the Tenth Episcopal District—The Right Reverend Ronnie Elijah Brailsford Sr. and Supervisor Reverend Carolyn Elizabeth Irvin Brailsford, along with Presiding Elder Dwayne Hysmith and Lady Tenor Hysmith—Baker Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Fort Worth, Texas, is advancing plans to build the Deaconess Dr. Opal Lee Multipurpose Center. We have begun this Holy Spirit-led vision with unity, commitment, and determination.
Deaconess Dr. Opal Lee, who has been a member of Baker Chapel for 90 years, was determined to make Juneteenth a national holiday. Her childhood home was destroyed by a hateful mob on June 19, 1939, because her family had moved into an all-white neighborhood. This experience motivated her, at the age of 87, after praying at Baker Chapel AME Church, to begin her 2.5-mile walk through major cities toward our nation’s capital. The walk symbolized the two and a half years it took for news of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach Texas.
Through an online petition, she gathered 1.6 million signatures in support of making Juneteenth a national holiday. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
Two of Dr. Lee’s many memorable quotes are: “If people can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love, and changing minds can actually be done. It’s not going to happen in a day. You’ve got to work at it.” She has also said, “We have to make people aware that none of us are free until we’re all free, and we aren’t free yet.”
Because of her efforts to make Juneteenth a national holiday and to promote the celebration of freedom for all people, Deaconess Dr. Opal Lee was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She celebrated her 100th birthday in October of this year.
The Reverend Walter R. McDonald and First Lady Carol Rischer McDonald are leading the congregation to believe, have faith, and trust in God as they mobilize this intergenerational community and advance the building expansion program at Baker Chapel AME Church.
The Multipurpose Center will address health disparities, including infant and adult mortality rates in the 76104 zip code, food desert conditions, limited affordable housing, and other needs of the congregation and surrounding community. The mission of the Multipurpose Center is to serve and uplift the community through services and outreach initiatives. It is designed to foster a thriving, resilient, and unified Historic Southside community in the city of Fort Worth—a place where every individual feels valued, safe, and empowered.
Sister Linda Thompson is the President of the Board of Directors for the For Our Community Unity and Safety Corporation (F.O.C.U.S.). F.O.C.U.S. is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation established by Baker Chapel AME Church to lead the development and programming of the Deaconess Dr. Opal Lee Multipurpose Center through community outreach, collaboration, and philanthropic partnerships.
The Center is designed as a 12,000-square-foot, two-story facility featuring space for a basketball court; a walking track commemorating the historic 2.5-mile walk of Deaconess Dr. Opal Lee; a chapel; banquet and meeting spaces; training classrooms; a commercial kitchen; offices; a health clinic; referral services; and a spacious outdoor pavilion for community gatherings. The Center is expected to break ground during Conference Year 2028.
KAI Architects and Design is the architect for the forthcoming National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth and the architect of record for the Baker Chapel AME Church Deaconess Dr. Opal Lee Multipurpose Center.
For more information on how to support, please contact Linda J. Thompson, President, Board of Directors, For Our Community Unity and Safety Corporation (F.O.C.U.S.) at P.O. Box 161594, Fort Worth, Texas 76161, focus.bcame@gmail.com, or 682-231-3953.
“Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow!”
