MEMPHIS, Tenn. — 95-year-old Opal Lee, known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth, celebrated the national holiday, and the hard work that brought it about, during the 2022 Juneteenth Freedom Walk Sunday in Fort Worth, Texas.
Juneteenth honors the time it took word of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach enslaved black people in Texas.
Lee spoke about the important moment.
“Finally came June the 19th. When General Gordon Granger made his way to Galveston with several thousand black troops. And they spread out all over the place, telling folks that the slaves were free. And when they learned they were free. They started celebrating. And we've been celebrating ever since,” said Lee.
Lee and her family worked for more than 25 years for national recognition so that the whole nation can celebrate freedom on June 19th.