Opal Lee: Photos of the her journey as the Grandmother of Juneteenth

[48/48] Grandmother of Juneteenth Opal Lee is photographed in her new Fort Worth home office, January 16, 2025. Lee was named the 2021 “Texan of the Year” by The Dallas Morning News. In 2024, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden.[(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

[1/48] Grandmother of Juneteenth Opal Lee photographed at her new Fort Worth home, January 16, 2025. Lee was named the 2021 “Texan of the Year” by The Dallas Morning News. In 2024, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

[2/48] Ninety-three year old activist Opal Lee marched 2.5 miles as part of her campaign to make Juneteenth a national holiday on Friday, June 19, 2020. The march started at the convention center downtown and ended at Will Rogers Coliseum.(Lawrence Jenkins / Special Contributor)

[3/48] President Joe Biden speaks with Opal Lee after he signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 17, 2021, in Washington.(Evan Vucci / AP)

[4/48] For the first time since her dream of Juneteenth being made a national holiday became reality, Ms. Opal Lee (center) led a 2.5 mile caravan from Historic Southside to the Tarrant County Courthouse in downtown Fort Worth, Saturday, June 19, 2021, to commemorate freedom from slavery. Earlier this week, the civil rights icon, stood by President Joe Biden as he signed a law making Juneteenth a federal holiday. At 94 years old, Ms. Opal Lee marked Juneteenth by speaking with supporters at the historic courthouse after she cooling down from the hot walk.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

[5/48] During her walk through downtown Fort Worth, Opal Lee (center) stopped in the middle of Commerce St. and danced to a live music performance for her, Saturday morning, June 19, 2021. For the first time since her dream of Juneteenth being made a national holiday became reality, Ms. Opal Lee led a 2.5 mile caravan from Historic Southside to the Tarrant County Courthouse in downtown Fort Worth. Earlier this week, the civil rights icon stood by President Joe Biden as he signed a law making Juneteenth a federal holiday. At 94 years old, Ms. Opal Lee marked Juneteenth by speaking with supporters at the historic courthouse after cooling down from the hot walk.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

[6/48] Tee-shirts bearing the likeness of Opal Lee were sold for the walk that started at Evans Avenue Plaza in Fort Worth, Saturday morning, June 19, 2021, For the first time since her dream of Juneteenth being made a national holiday became reality, Ms. Opal Lee led a 2.5 mile caravan from Historic Southside to the Tarrant County Courthouse in downtown Fort Worth. At 94 years old, Ms. Opal Lee marked the Juneteenth by speaking with supporters at the historic courthouse after cooling down from her walk.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

[7/48] Opal Lee (second from left) had a shaded escort as she trekked down Evans Ave headed for downtown Fort Worth in the heat, Saturday morning, June 19, 2021. For the first time since her dream of Juneteenth being made a national holiday became reality, Ms. Opal Lee led a 2.5 mile caravan from Historic Southside to the Tarrant County Courthouse in downtown Fort Worth. Earlier this week, the civil rights icon stood by President Joe Biden as he signed a law making Juneteenth a federal holiday. At 94 years old, Ms. Opal Lee marked Juneteenth by speaking with supporters at the historic courthouse after cooling down from the hot walk.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

[8/48] TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr., left, and Provost Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg, right, presents Opal Lee, center, with an honorary Doctor of Letters at Commencement ceremonies in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021.(Michael Ainsworth / Special Contributor)

[9/48] Opal Lee throws out the ceremonial first pitch to Texas Rangers third base coach Tony Beasley, while accompanied to the mound by former Rangers stars Ferguson Jenkins (right) and Al Oliver, before a game between Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels on Jackie Robinson Day at Globe Life Field on Friday, April 15, 2022.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

[10/48] Opal Lee responds to a reporter’s question during a press conference prior to the start of the Dallas Wings versus Seattle Storm game. The two teams played their WNBA game at UT-Arlington’s College Park Center in Arlington on June 12, 2022.(Steve Hamm / Special Contributor)

[11/48] Opal Lee (center) cheers as the Juneteenth flag is raised at Fort Worth City Hall at the conclusion of the 2022 Opal’s Walk for Freedom on Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Fort Worth. Behind Lee are U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, Democratic candidate for Governor Beto O’Rourke and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

[12/48] Opal Lee arrives at Fort Worth City Hall to cheers from the crowd as she finishes the 2022 Opal’s Walk for Freedom on Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Fort Worth. (Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

[13/48] A family member hold a portable fan for Opal Lee during the 2022 Opal’s Walk for Freedom on Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Fort Worth. (Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

[14/48] Democratic candidate for Governor Beto O’Rourke addresses the crowd as Opal Lee (far left) looks on following the 2022 Opal’s Walk for Freedom on Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Fort Worth. Lee, often referred to as the ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth’ led her annual two and half miles walk, representing the number of years after the Emancipation Proclamation before enslaved people in Texas learned they were free.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

[15/48] Democratic gubernatorial challenger Beto O’Rourke (right) listens to the Grandmother of Juneteenth, Opal Lee, at Jaxon Beer Garden in Downtown Dallas. Beto was taking photos with supporters following his speech at the 2022 Texas Democratic Convention general session at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, July 15, 2022.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer )

[16/48] Opal Lee reads to Alora Gibbs in front of the media at the “Girl Scouts Celebrate Black History Month” exhibit at Galleria Dallas in Dallas on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. The mural features notable Black women in scouting, as well as a special tribute to Opal Lee.(Lola Gomez / Staff Photographer)

[17/48] Opal Lee signs her book to Alora Gibbs at the “Girl Scouts Celebrate Black History Month” exhibit at Galleria Dallas in Dallas on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. The mural features notable Black women in scouting, as well as a special tribute to Opal Lee.(Lola Gomez / Staff Photographer)

[18/48] Activist Opal Lee (right) poses for a selfie with Dallas businessman Malcolm Mayo during the NCAA Legends and Legacy Award Celebration at DEC on Dragon on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 in Dallas. Lee, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” was presented with the NCAA Legends and Legacy Community Award.(Elías Valverde II / Staff Photographer)

[19/48] Activist Opal Lee (center) poses for a photo with SMU student-athlete Jasmine Jolly (left) and Felicia Martin, NCAA senior Vice President of inclusion, education and community engagement, after being presented with the NCAA Legends and Legacy Community Award during a ceremony at DEC on Dragon on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 in Dallas.(Elías Valverde II / Staff Photographer)

[20/48] Vice President Kamala Harris welcomes Opal Lee to the stage during a Juneteenth concert on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, June 13, 2023. Opal Lee is considered the grandmother of Juneteenth. (Susan Walsh / ASSOCIATED PRESS)

[21/48] Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director for Equal Justice Initiative (left), and Opal Lee, known as the grandmother of Juneteenth, hold hands after Stevenson told Lee to “keep on keeping on” during the National Juneteenth Museum Speaker Series at I.M. Terrell Academy, Thursday, June 15, 2023, in Fort Worth, Texas.(Elías Valverde II / Staff Photographer)

[22/48] Lena Lee, 5, (left) and Evette Stone, 9, pose for a photo with a sign of Opal Lee during Opal’s Walk for Freedom on Monday, June 19, 2023, in Fort Worth.(Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer)

[23/48] Surrounded by crowd and media members, Grandmother of Juneteenth, Opal Lee, starts off Opal’s Walk for Freedom on Monday, June 19, 2023, in Fort Worth.(Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer)

[24/48] Opal Lee, left, Grandmother of Juneteenth, cheers alongside Cynt Marshall, right, Chief Executive Officer of Dallas Mavericks, during Opal’s Walk for Freedom on Monday, June 19, 2023, in Fort Worth.(Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer)

[25/48] Grandmother of Juneteenth, Opal Lee addresses the crowd after Opal’s Walk for Freedom on Monday, June 19, 2023, in Fort Worth.(Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer)

[26/48] Crowd takes part during Opal Lee’s annual Walk for Freedom on Monday, June 19, 2023, in Fort Worth. (Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer)

[27/48] Opal Lee, the “Grandmother of Juneteenth”, takes a seat near the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Sacramento Kings at American Airlines Center on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in Dallas.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

[28/48] Opal Lee, the “Grandmother of Juneteenth”, reacts after being presented with a medal by Pastor Richie Butler inducting her into the church’s Senior Saints of Wisdom during a special Sunday service celebrating Black History Month at St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024, in Dallas.(Elías Valverde II / Staff Photographer)

[29/48] Opal Lee, the “Grandmother of Juneteenth”, holds up a rendering of the planned National Juneteenth Museum during a special Sunday service celebrating Black History Month at St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024, in Dallas.(Elías Valverde II / Staff Photographer)

[30/48] (From left) Gage Yager, CEO of Trinity Habitat for Humanity, Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth, Myra Savage, Trinity Habitat for Humanity board president and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker participate in a board cutting as several community organizations host a wall-raising ceremony to celebrate the rebuilding of Lee’s childhood home on Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Fort Worth. On June 19, 1939, when Lee was 12, a mob of 500 white supremacists set fire to her family’s home in Fort Worth and destroyed it. (Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer)

[31/48] From left, Judge Renée Toliver listens as her grandmother Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth, speaks during a ceremony to celebrate Lee’s homecoming to her rebuilt childhood home in Fort Worth on Friday, June 14, 2024. On June 19, 1939, when Lee was a child, a mob of white supremacists set fire to her family’s home in Fort Worth and destroyed it. (Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer)

[32/48] Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth, sits and listens as she holds her key and a toothbrush during a ceremony to celebrate Lee’s homecoming to her rebuilt childhood home in Fort Worth on Friday, June 14, 2024. On June 19, 1939, when Lee was a child, a mob of white supremacists set fire to her family’s home in Fort Worth and destroyed it. (Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer)

[33/48] President Joe Biden awards the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to Opal Lee during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Washington.(Alex Brandon / ASSOCIATED PRESS)

[34/48] Opal Lee speaks during an Honorary Degree Symposium at SMU’s Frances Anne Moody Hall in Dallas, TX, on May 9, 2024. (Jason Janik / Special Contributor)

[35/48] Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth, center, walks through Fair Park with her granddaughter Dione Sims, second from left, and hundreds of participants during 2024 Opal’s Walk for Freedom honoring the U.S. federal holiday, Juneteenth, Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Dallas. (Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer)

[36/48] Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth, speaks to participants in front of African American Museum in Fair Park after they finished walking in 2024 Opal’s Walk for Freedom honoring the U.S. federal holiday, Juneteenth, Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Dallas. (Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer)

[37/48] Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth, center, walks through Fair Park with her granddaughter Dione Sims, second from left and hundreds of participants during 2024 Opal’s Walk for Freedom honoring the U.S. federal holiday, Juneteenth, Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Dallas. (Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer)

[38/48] The grandmother of Juneteenth Opal Lee grabs hold of the microphone and yells ‘Play Ball!’ to start the HBCU Swingman Classic baseball game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, July 12, 2024. (Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

[39/48] Fort Worth legends Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth (left) and Grammy Award winning gospel singer Kirk Franklin pose for photo after Franklin sang Lift Every Voice and Sing before the HBCU Swingman Classic baseball game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, July 12, 2024. Lee proudly announced ‘Play Ball!’ before the baseball game.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

[40/48] Opal Lee poses for photos while sitting courtside before a WNBA basketball game between the Dallas Wings and the Los Angeles Sparks at College Park Center on Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024, in Arlington, Texas.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

[41/48] Opal Lee speaks at an event celebrating her 98th birthday and announcing updates from National Juneteenth Museum CEO Jarred Howard on the museum’s progress in Fort Worth on Oct. 3, 2024.(Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer)

[42/48] Opal Lee arrives at an event celebrating her 98th birthday and announcing updates from National Juneteenth Museum CEO Jarred Howard on the museum’s progress in Fort Worth on Oct. 3, 2024. (Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer )

[43/48] Opal Lee speaks at an event celebrating her 98th birthday and announcing updates from National Juneteenth Museum CEO Jarred Howard on the museum’s progress in Fort Worth on Oct. 3, 2024. (Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer )

[44/48] Amongst her accomplishments, the Grandmother of Juneteenth, Opal Lee, has a photo of she and Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris in her new Fort Worth home, January 15, 2025. The photo was from a Presidential campaign rally.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

[45/48] A WNBA basketball signed by players of the Dallas Wings adorns the shelf of Opal Lee’s office in her new Fort Worth home, January 16, 2025.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

[46/48] Grandmother of Juneteenth Opal Lee was awarded the 2023 Lone Star Emmy Governor’s Award for her work in the news special, Grandmother of Juneteenth: A Conversation with Opal Lee.
It sits in her Fort Worth home office, January 16, 2025.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

[47/48] Opal Lee has a signed photo by former United States Representative Beto O’Rourke on the shelf of her Fort Worth home office, January 16, 2025.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)