06/19/2026
Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021. It was the culmination of decades of activism and persistence by Black leaders like Ms. Opal Lee.
Opal had celebrated on June 19 in her community since she was a girl, and she was already in her late 80s when she set out to make Juneteenth a national holiday. She began walking 2.5 miles a day, representing the 2.5 years it took for news of emancipation to reach Texas, to promote the idea and gather signatures for a petition. After four months, she reached Washington, D.C. and delivered the petition with 1.5 million signatures.
What few knew until deep into her campaign was the other reason June 19 carried such weight for her. On Juneteenth in 1939, when Opal was 12, a white mob surrounded her family's home demanding they leave, then burned it to the ground. It was a hateful act meant to remind them they were not free. However, by dedicating her life to her community, to civil rights, and to making Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday, Opal reclaimed freedom, for herself, for Black Americans, and for all of us.
Opal Lee's story is a powerful reminder that we all have a role to play in fulfilling the promise of Juneteenth.
