Opal Lee never thought she’d live to see her dream be fully realized. At 96 years old, she figured the day would come, but only long after she was gone. Yet there she was, standing in the White House. Watching the President of the United States sign the bill she had worked to promote for so long.
The bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19th, 1865, General Gordon Granger ordered the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the Civil War. It was the last slave-owning state in the Confederacy. The 13th Amendment, which officially abolished slavery, would be ratified by the end of the year.
For much of its history, Juneteenth has been observed in mostly local celebrations. But over time, more and more people began promoting the holiday as something all Americans should be aware of. Because it celebrates the moment when America truly became “the land of the free.”
Chief among those people was Opal Lee.
Opal’s connection to the holiday began when she was just 12 years old. The year was 1939. Her family had recently moved into a new neighborhood when a large mob of 500 white rioters gathered around her home. At first, Opal could only watch in horror as the rioters began throwing things at her house. As they broke through the front door and smashed furniture. But when the fires started, she and her family ran.
The date was June 19th.
The house burned to the ground. The police made no arrests. The attempt to scare Opal’s family out of the predominantly white neighborhood had worked. But it didn’t stop Opal from making a stand. In fact, it inspired her. It was then that she realized Juneteenth was not just a holiday, not just a festival. It was a call to action. A reminder that freedom cannot just be proclaimed once. It must be proclaimed over and over, by each generation…so that the next generation can be free, too.
The tragedy of that day left an impression on Opal. Juneteenth would forever be of personal significance rather than just historical. From that day onward, she would pursue a life dedicated to education, activism…and the idea that Juneteenth was for all Americans to celebrate and observe.
Many decades later, after retiring from her career as a schoolteacher, Opal decided to take her efforts to the national stage. It began with a walk in 2016. Starting in Galveston, Texas – where the first Juneteenth took place – she walked 2.5 miles each day on the way to Washington D.C. (She chose to walk 2.5 miles a day to symbolize the 2.5 years that Black Texans remained enslaved after the Emancipation Proclamation.)
Opal’s goal: To encourage lawmakers to formally recognize Juneteenth.
She was 89 years old.
At first, only a handful of people from her church walked with her. But over time, others began joining in on the march. Opal stopped in dozens of cities along the way, each time drawing more attention to her cause. And her online petition to recognize Juneteenth collected over 1.6 million signatures!
Eventually, her campaign caught the attention of the nation. It helped spur Congress to finally pass a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday. And so, in June of 2021, she was invited to the White House to watch the President sign the bill into law.
Today, she is known as “The Grandmother of Juneteenth.”
Opal’s fight for official recognition was more than a personal mission. It was part of a larger, unwavering commitment to education and equality. Her story will be part of this great nation’s history and will live on to inspire so many others in the pursuit of their own dreams.
I hope you enjoyed learning about Opal’s journey. No matter what stage your own dreams are at, I wish you the best in achieving them!
Let’s celebrate the importance of this day together. Happy Juneteenth!