‘Grandmother of Juneteenth’ honored at State Capitol
Opal Lee 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”. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed Senate Bill S. 475, making Juneteenth the eleventh federal holiday. Photo courtesy Larry Don Miller Jr
The Texas Senate honored a retired schoolteacher, Opal Lee, 96 as “Grandmother of Juneteenth” on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. Lee was honored for her lifelong efforts in the field of civil rights that led to Juneteenth becoming the eleventh federal holiday in 2021. She had worked for the last five decades to bring that celebration to the rest of the nation.
