The Story of DR. Opal Lee
THE CAMPAIGN FOR FREEDOM
The Walk for Change
In 2016, she began an annual 2.5 mile walk to draw more public attention to the cause in Fort Worth, TX. The distance represents the 2.5 years it took from the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation until its enforcement reached Texas, freeing all enslaved African Americans in the United States. This led to her campaign to personally spread the walk to cities all across the country.
In 2017, she completed a 1,400-mile walking campaign from Fort Worth, TX to Washington, D.C., to petition for the recognition of Juneteenth as a national holiday.
2.5 Miles
Annual walk since 2016
1,400 Miles
Fort Worth to Washington, D.C. (2017)
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
A National Movement
Years of walking, advocacy and grassroots organizing came together as people across the country joined Dr. Opal Lee's call, turning a local celebration into a federal holiday.
2019
1.6 Million Signatures
In 2019, she spearheaded an online petition campaign that garnered over 1.6 million signatures to continue the push for observing Juneteenth as a holiday nationally.
2021
June 17, 2021: Federal Holiday
On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday.
May 2024 · Presidential Medal of Freedom
Honors & Legacy
In May 2024, President Biden awarded Dr. Opal Lee with the Medal of Freedom, recognizing her pivotal role in the establishment of Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
“Now we can celebrate freedom from the 19TH OF JUNE to the 4TH OF JULY!”