Biden to award Opal Lee, 'Grandmother of Juneteenth,' with highest civilian honor
WASHINGTON (KXAN) — President Joe Biden is set to award a Texas woman known by many as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth" with the highest civilian honor in the country.
The White House announced Opal Lee from Marshall, Texas, is one of 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom this year. The 97-year-old activist who pushed for Juneteenth to become a federally-recognized holiday will receive this honor during a ceremony Friday.
Other honorees include Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Vice President Al Gore.
Lee previously joined Biden at the White House in 2021 when he signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. This made June 19 a national holiday commemorating the end of slavery. It marks when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free, two months after the Confederacy surrendered. That was also about 2.5 years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the Southern states.
Texas lawmakers also recognized Lee for her advocacy efforts. Last year the Texas Senate unveiled an official portrait of her. It's only the second painting in the Senate to honor an African-American Texan, according to the Texas Legislative Black Caucus.
During a ceremony in February 2023, Lee took a look at that painting and joked, "I didn’t know I looked that good!"
The University of North Texas, where Lee graduated with a Master of Education in 1963, also gave the former teacher an honorary doctorate last year during its spring commencement.
In 2016, she started walking 2.5 miles in cities all across the country, which symbolized the 2.5 years it took for word to get out to all slaves that they were free. Crowds began joining her during those walks.
In a news release Friday, the White House said the Presidential Medal of Freedom is "presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors."