Who is Opal Lee? 'Grandmother of Juneteenth' to skip Walk for Freedom march this year

1. Who is Opal Lee? 'Grandmother of Juneteenth' to skip Walk for Freedom march this year

Who is Opal Lee? 'Grandmother of Juneteenth' to skip Walk for Freedom march this year ByHT US Desk Jun 19, 2025 07:51 PM IST Read this news in brief form Share Via Copy Link In May last year, Opal Lee was awarded the Medal of Freedom, recognizing her pivotal role in establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday in the US.

For the first time since 2016, Opal Lee will remain absent from the Walk for Freedom march this year. The 'Grandmother of Juneteenth' will not be participating in the event due to a recent hospitalization. The 98-year-old has remained a part of the event since it was started in 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Opal Lee, nicknamed 'Grandmother of Juneteenth' will skip the annual Walk for Freedom march this year(GMA)

In May, it was reported that Lee was admitted to hospital while she was on her way to receive the International Freedom Conductor Award at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Ohio.

Speaking to the Fort Worth Report on June 17, Lee's granddaughter, Dione Sims, said that the retired counselor is now 98 and the family “really wants to keep her in.”

Further, Sims told WFAA that while her grandmother's health prevented her from leading the Walk for Freedom, she was still planning to take part in it. The family has assured that the retired teacher will attend it virtually.

Also read: What's open and closed on Juneteenth: Details on stock market, banks, post offices, Costco, Starbucks, Walmart and more

Born on October 7, 1926, in Texas' Marshall, Opal Lee is a retired educator and counselor. Her parents relocated their three children to Fort Worth when she was 9. While growing up, she learned about Juneteenth from the annual celebrations in her neighborhood.

She finished high school at 16 and later graduated in 1953 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and a Minor in English from Wiley College in Marshall. She returned to university to get a Master’s Degree in Educational Counseling and Guidance.

According to the National Women's History Museum, her home was destroyed by a mob of around 500 people in 1939 during one such celebration.

She decided most of her life to preserve the history of Juneteenth. She came into the spotlight in 2016, when she kickstarted a 1,400-mile trek from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C. at the age of 89. This was done to recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday.

In 2021, then US President Joe Biden officially declared Juneteenth a federal holiday. Last year, Lee was awarded the Medal of Freedom, recognizing her pivotal role in the establishment of Juneteenth as a federal holiday in the US.

Juneteenth is being observed on Thursday, June 19, this year.

She taught within the Fort Worth Independent School District for a total of 15 years.

She is 98 years old.