Happy Birthday! Opal Lee, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth”, turns 100

Opal Lee turns 100 years old, marking a milestone worthy of national celebration. Known nationwide as the Grandmother of Juneteenth, Lee’s century of life reflects unwavering activism, generational leadership and a legacy that reshaped American history.

Opal Lee’s Early Life Shaped by Racial Violence

Lee was born on Oct. 7, 1926 in Marshall, TX and raised in Fort Worth, TX. At age 12, a white mob burned her family’s home on June 19, 1939, an attack documented in museum archives and historical reporting. The violence pushed her toward education, community work and later civil rights advocacy.

She graduated high school at 16, earned her degree from Wiley College and later completed a master’s program at North Texas State University. She spent more than two decades working as a teacher and counselor in Fort Worth.

Opal Lee Turns 100: Decades of Work Behind Juneteenth’s Rise

Lee spent decades teaching Juneteenth’s history and stressing the 2.5‑year delay between the Emancipation Proclamation and the arrival of freedom in Texas on June 19, 1865. To symbolize that delay, she walked 2.5 miles at a time during her activism.

Her advocacy reached a turning point in 2016, when she began her Walk for Freedom at 89 years old. She traveled from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., walking 2.5 miles in each city along the route. The campaign drew national coverage and helped her collect more than one million petition signatures urging Congress to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.

Her work paid off in 2021, when President Joe Biden signed Juneteenth into law. Lee stood beside him at the White House as the holiday became federally recognized.

A Milestone Marked With a Living Tribute

Lee’s 100th birthday coincides with a historic moment in Fort Worth. The city began clearing the Southside Community Center to prepare for the National Juneteenth Museum, a project she envisioned and supported for years. Supporters call the demolition a “living tribute” to her persistence and lifelong commitment to freedom.

The museum is planned as a $70 million, 50,000‑square‑foot cultural anchor featuring galleries, a theater, a business incubator and a food hall, all designed to preserve Juneteenth history and uplift the community Lee has served for decades.

A Legacy of Humility and Service

Despite her national profile, Lee stays grounded. Asked what she would say to people celebrating her milestone, she told CBS Texas, “It’s good to be here! At 100 years old? Good gracious a life!” She added that she hopes other seniors “understand that we’ve got something to show the youngsters.”

She often reminds younger generations that freedom requires responsibility, urging them to “leave the world better than they found it.”