How Juneteenth Became A Federal Holiday

opal lee speaking
Via Wikipedia Commons
Briona Lamback
June 15, 2026

Opal Lee was 12 when her family moved to a white neighborhood in Fort Worth, Texas, in June 1939. Enraged that a Black family dared assert their right to live wherever they wanted, 500 white people burned the home to the ground and drove the Lees out. As an adult, Lee used her traumatic memories to fuel her activism.

After emancipation was announced on June 19, 1865, anti-Black violence swept through Black communities. Lee was at a Juneteenth parade when her memories of June 19, 1939, came flooding back and gave her an idea.

Lee used her story to help get Juneteenth declared a federal holiday. She walked over 1,400 miles beginning in 2016, stopping along the route to share her experiences. Now, all of us can celebrate the emancipation we fought so hard to achieve. But something else happened that Lee never imagined.

Her story inspired people around the country. When other Black communities heard her story, they fought for her, and in 2024 Lee was gifted back the land stolen from her family.

Lee’s story reminds us of the power of our stories to build community and inspire action. Community sustains us. All we got is each other, and that’s a heck of a lot.

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