Key Points
Opal Lee, the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," was instrumental in the movement to make Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday in 2021.
A lifelong educator in Fort Worth, Texas, she dedicated her career to shaping young minds and serving her community.
A traumatic 1939 Juneteenth experience—when her family's home was burned—helped inspire her lifelong commitment to justice and advocacy.
At age 89, Opal Lee made a symbolic walk from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., building on the annual 2.5-mile walks she began years earlier to advocate for federal recognition of Juneteenth.
Her legacy reflects the power of resilience, education, and grassroots activism to create lasting social change.
- Opal Lee attends the 2021 Forbes x Know Your Value 50 Over 50 Summit on December 15, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/WireImage)
Who is Opal Lee?
Opal Lee, the 'Grandmother of Juneteenth,' is a woman of remarkable vision, unshakable determination and boundless compassion. The legacy created by her resilience echoes throughout the nation, reminding us all that one person's unwavering commitment to justice can change the course of history. Her journey stands as a beacon of hope and a call to action for generations to come.
Born in Marshall, Texas, in 1926, Opal Lee credits her superb work ethic to her mother. Lee graduated from high school at the age of 16 and went on to further her education at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, where she earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education. In 1960, she returned to the classroom to achieve her master's degree in counseling and guidance from North Texas University.
A Career Rooted in Education and Community
For 24 years, she worked with children in the Fort Worth Independent School District as a schoolteacher and a counselor. She poured into the lives of children in the area and saw firsthand the many different walks of life and struggles her community went through. It was here that Lee truly understood what it meant to love your neighbor.
"As a lifelong educator, I know that what we teach today shapes tomorrow," Lee said. "So if people can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love."
As a lifelong educator, I know that what we teach today shapes tomorrow. So if people can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love.
A Defining Moment: The 1939 Juneteenth Tragedy
Like many, Lee's celebrations of Juneteenth as a child were private celebrations with family and friends enjoying each other's company, good food and the remembrance of a pivotal moment in our nation's history.
That was until June 19, 1939, when the beloved holiday had to share a day of terror with the Lee family, when a mob burned their house down during their celebrations. That became a day she and her family would never forget; however, it wasn't a day that silenced her.
Retired teacher and activist Opal Lee attends the Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 3, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)From Educator to Activist
After Lee's retirement in 1977, she shifted her focus to bettering her community. She helped advocate for those experiencing poverty and homelessness in the community, and she became a founding member of the Tarrant County Black Historical and Genealogical Society and began her role of planning Juneteenth celebrations for her community. Thus began the chain of events that would lead to a very important moment in United States history.
"I don't consider myself a civil rights person. I consider myself your grandma and everybody else's grandma, and I expect you to listen when I tell you something," Lee said.
I don't consider myself a civil rights person. I consider myself your grandma and everybody else's grandma, and I expect you to listen when I tell you something.
Activist and retired educator Opal Lee, 94, holds hands with Vice President Kamala Harris as U.S. President Joe Biden signs the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law in 2021. (Getty Images)The Movement to Make Juneteenth a National Holiday
In 2016, at the age of 89, Lee started her campaign to call for Juneteenth's recognition as a national holiday. She started her journey, walking from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C. Each day, she walked 2.5 miles to symbolize the two and a half years enslaved people in Texas waited to learn they had been freed after the Emancipation Proclamation.
She was strong and resilient in her efforts, and along the way, she gathered a petition with 1.5 million signatures to present to Congress. After a lifetime of work and 154 years after the good news reached Galveston, Texas, Lee watched as President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth Independence Day Act on June 27, 2021.
No comments:
Post a Comment