Opal Lee, the 96-year-old Texan whose efforts helped make Juneteenth a federal holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S., became on Wednesday only the second Black person whose ...

HOUSTON — A special "Juneteenth in July" celebration featuring Grammy-winning artists and a musical tribute to the late Rep.

News & Politics At 98, the Grandmother of Juneteenth Still Has Work to Do “When he calls me, I don’t plan to be in no rocking chair waiting for him," Opal Lee says.

Opal Lee has been described as the "grandmother of the movement" to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.. In 2016, at 89 years old, Lee, a former teacher and lifelong activist, walked from her home ...

Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director for the Equal Justice Initiative, embraces Opal Lee, who is known as the grandmother of Juneteenth, before speaking at the National Juneteenth ...

Opal Lee, known to many as "The Grandmother of Juneteenth," will not participate in this year’s Walk for Freedom march due to a recent hospitalization.

Opal Lee, left, who helped make Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday, poses with her portrait after it was unveiled in the Texas Senate Chamber, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP ...

A racist mob burned down Opal Lee's family home in 1939; recently, Habitat for Humanity helped build the activist a new home on the same site Dia Dipasupil/Getty This year, Juneteenth is even more ...

Opal Lee walks her annual 2.5-mile Juneteenth march in 2021. Sims also told WFAA that although Lee’s health will prevent her from leading the Walk for Freedom, she still plans to participate.

In 2023, FOX 4 sat down with Opal Lee, a Fort Worth woman who became known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth. Hear her story about the effort to make Juneteenth a national holiday.

Opal Lee, Grandmother of Juneteenth (2023) Posted: June 19, 2025 | Last updated: June 19, 2025. In 2023, FOX 4 sat down with Opal Lee, a Fort Worth woman who became known as the Grandmother of ...