Opal Lee
Opal Lee
Opal Lee, often referred to as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," made history on June 17, 2021, when she stood beside President Joe Biden as he signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, officially making June 19, or "Juneteenth," a federal holiday. On that day, she famously said, “Now we can celebrate freedom from the 19th of June to the 4th of July!”
Born in Marshall, Texas, in 1926, Ms. Lee moved to Fort Worth in 1937. At the age of 12, her family’s home was destroyed on June 19, 1939, but instead of allowing this hardship to deter them, the Lee family continued to make a significant impact in their community. Throughout her life, Ms. Lee has served on numerous boards and worked with a wide range of organizations, including Citizens Concerned with Human Dignity (CCHD), Habitat for Humanity, and the Tarrant County Black Historical & Genealogical Society, all of which are dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Fort Worth’s Black community.
As Chairman of the Community Food Bank, Ms. Lee led the effort to secure a 1.3-million-dollar, 33,000-square-foot facility that now serves over 500 families daily.
Ms. Lee is the longest-serving board member of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF), a national movement founded by the late Dr. Ronald Myers, that advocated for Juneteenth to become a federal holiday. At the age of 90, she launched a walking campaign from Fort Worth to Washington, DC, to raise awareness for Juneteenth. She walked 2.5 miles in cities across the country to symbolize the 2.5 years it took for the news of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach Texas and free the enslaved. In 2019, she further amplified her advocacy with an online petition that garnered over 1.6 million signatures in support of national holiday recognition.
Currently, Ms. Lee serves on the boards of Unity Unlimited, Inc., and Transform 1012 N. Main Street, and holds the position of Board Member and Honorary Chair of the National Juneteenth Museum. Over the years, she has received seven honorary doctorates, been named the 2021 Texan of the Year by the Dallas Morning News, and recognized as the 2021 Unsung Hero of the Pandemic by Fort Worth Inc. She was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and, most recently, became the second African American to have her portrait displayed in the Texas State Senate.
