Opal Lee

Opal Lee, WNYC Studios⠀⠀⠀⠀

You can't talk about Juneteenth without celebrating Mrs. Opal Lee. The Lily featured a (must read!) interview with Mrs. Lee, which focused on why she's been working for years to make Juneteenth a holiday. As today is Juneteenth, she is our That Girl Friday feature! Because Senator Kamala Harris is also advocating for a Juneteenth holiday, Opal Lee's That Girl Friday title includes a phrase that Senator Harris made popular during her 2020 campaign: Joyful Warrior.

First, what is Juneteenth and why should it be a holiday?

Juneteenth, derived from June 19th, 1865, is the day enslaved people in Texas were finally freed from slavery. Yes, you read that correctly. It took from 1862 to 1865 for Texans to honor the Emancipation Proclamation and free people they had been holding as slaves. For many Black Americans, this is a day we have always celebrated or recognized as our day of independence.

How did enslaved people in Texas finally find out they were free?

Major General Gordon Granger issued this order, “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.” (General Orders, Number 3; Headquarters District of Texas, Galveston, June 19, 1865)

Why did Opal Lee start advocating for Juneteenth to become a holiday?

According to the New York Times, "When Opal Lee was growing up in Texas, she would spend Juneteenth picnicking with her family, first in Marshall, where she was born, then in Sycamore Park in Fort Worth, near the home she moved into at age 10. She and her family lived in a predominantly white neighborhood in Fort Worth. When Mrs. Lee was 12, a mob of 500 white supremacists set fire to her home and vandalized it. The structure was destroyed, and no arrests were made.” That horrifying experience led her to pursue teaching and activism. In 2016, at 89 years young, she created an annual “Walk 2 DC” event to encourage lawmakers to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. She gained international attention and by 2020 Juneteenth was a trending topic of conversation.

Amazing 2021 Update!

Mrs. Opal Lee made it happen and I’m so happy that she was able to see this moment and receive a standing ovation at the White House. Juneteenth is now a federal holiday. The photo below is from the White House, June 17, 2021.