Opal Lee has earned a special title among those who cherish the history and meaning of Juneteenth — she is called the Grandmother of Juneteenth.
In 2024, Lee sat down with NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly to discuss her lifelong commitment to activism surrounding the holiday and to share what she hopes lies ahead for the celebration of freedom it represents.
Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas learned they had been freed, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Lee has long championed the holiday’s recognition and has become one of its most beloved and recognizable advocates.
