Opal Lee - Wikipedia
Opal Lee (born October 7, 1926) is an American retired teacher, counselor, and activist in the movement to make Juneteenth a federally-recognized holiday. She is often described as the "grandmother of Juneteenth".
How Activist Opal Lee Helped Make Juneteenth a Federal Holiday - Biography
Jun 19, 2024 · Opal Lee earned a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2022 for her part in creating the Juneteenth federal holiday. Here’s what inspired her and how she did it.
Opal Lee | Juneteenth, Fire, Historic Walk, Biography, & Facts
Opal Lee is a civil rights activist, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” for her activism and historic walk to help make June 19 a national holiday in the United States.
Opal Lee, ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth,’ to recieve house built on …
Jan 4, 2024 · More than 80 years have passed since a racist mob destroyed Opal Lee’s family home in Fort Worth, Texas, but the 97-year-old said she still remembers the White crowd that forced her family...
Meet Opal Lee, the 'grandmother of the movement' to make Juneteenth …
Jun 19, 2024 · Vice President Kamala Harris watches as Opal Lee (2nd L), the activist known as the grandmother of Juneteenth, is given a pen after President Joe Biden signs the Juneteenth National Independence ...
'Grandmother of Juneteenth' Opal Lee discusses her work to ... - NPR
Jun 19, 2024 · Opal Lee, an activist for the Juneteenth holiday, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Lee about the holiday she worked hard to solidify.
Activist Ms. Opal Lee - Juneteenth Legacy Project
At 94 years old, Opal Lee is still determined to see Juneteenth made a national holiday through bringing awareness to Congress and the administration that the country needs and wants the unity that celebrating the abolition of slavery can bring.
‘Grandmother of Juneteenth’ taking back land where childhood …
Mar 23, 2024 · Opal Lee was only 12 years old when a racist white mob stormed and set fire to her home on 940 East Annie Street in Fort Worth, Texas. The violence raged on June 19, 1939 -- the date now known as “Juneteenth,” the annual holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. “The whites didn't want us in the neighborhood,” Lee told ABC News.
Ms. Opal Lee - NJM
Fondly known as Ms. Opal, she gained national attention in 2016, when at 89, she began a 1,400-mile trek from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., to petition for the recognition of Juneteenth as a national holiday.
Meet Opal Lee, 'grandmother of Juneteenth' ShareAmerica
Lee, by then known as the “grandmother of Juneteenth,” was invited to the White House signing ceremony, where she received a standing ovation. Lee speaks with President Biden June 17, 2021, after he signed the legislation into law that made Juneteenth a federal holiday.