Opal Lee,The Grandmother of Juneteenth

Send us Fan Mail Episode DescriptionFrom a hot June day in Galveston Bay in 1865 to a “little old lady in tennis shoes” standing in the White House in 2021, this episode of The Texan Edge follows the long road of Juneteenth through the life and grit of Opal Lee. Tweed Scott walks you from General Order No. 3 to a national holiday, tracing how one determined Texas woman turned memory into motion—2.5 miles at a time. This is Tex-A-Tude: freedom, responsibility, and the quiet courage to keep walking until the truth is finally recognized.Show NotesSetting the stage in Galveston, 1865Union soldiers land in Galveston on a hot June dayGeneral Order No. 3 announces freedom for enslaved people in TexasFreedom arrives two and a half years after the Emancipation ProclamationBirth of JuneteenthNewly freed Texans begin marking June 19 as a celebration in 1866Churchyards, fields, and later parks like Emancipation Park in Houston become gathering placesFamilies pray, sing, feast, and tell the story so children won’t forget “the day it changed for us”From local memory to wider recognitionJuneteenth slowly spreads beyond Galveston and Texas1980: Texas becomes the first state to make Juneteenth an official state holidayState Representative Al Edwards, “Mr. Juneteenth,” helps lead that effortEnter Opal LeeBorn in 1926, Opal Lee grows up with Juneteenth as part of family lifeShe believes the whole nation—not just Texas—should honor the dayInstead of waiting for “someone” to act, she decides to walkWalking 2.5 miles for 2.5 yearsIn 2016, at age 89, Opal Lee begins a symbolic walk from Fort Worth toward Washington, D.C.In city after city, she walks 2.5 miles to represent the 2.5-year delay between proclamation and enforcementEvery step says: freedom delayed is still freedom worth fighting forPetition, persistence, and “the grandmother of Juneteenth”Opal Lee helps gather more than 1.5 million signatures for a national holidayShe partners with organizations, speaks, and keeps telling the storyShe earns nicknames like “grandmother of Juneteenth” and “little old lady in tennis shoes” as she quietly moves mountainsA nation’s turning point2020 brings protests, pandemic strain, and renewed focus on racial justiceJuneteenth shifts from regional observance to a national conversation: why isn’t this already a federal holiday?Momentum grows in Congress with support from both partiesJuneteenth becomes a federal holidayJune 2021: Congress passes legislation establishing Juneteenth National Independence DayJune 17, 2021: the President signs it into lawOpal Lee, now 94, stands behind the President and witnesses the moment she has walked toward for yearsHonoring Opal Lee in TexasFebruary 8, 2023: her portrait is unveiled and placed in the Texas Senate ChamberFirst new portrait there in over four decadesOpal Lee is only the second Black Texan honored with a portrait in the chamber, alongside Barbara JordanThe portrait by Texas artist Jess Coleman recognizes her decades-long campaign for JuneteenthTex-A-Tude: what this means for usFreedom is not just a slogan; it’s a promise paid for in suffering, struggle, and perseveranceEven “obvious” truths often require ordinary people doing extraordinary, persistent thingsYou’re never too old, too small, or too late to take your own “2.5-mile” stepYour Edge for the dayDon’t just enjoy your freedom—help remember it and extend itAsk: “What step can I take, right where I am, that nudges the world a little closer to what it ought to be?”Closing invitationIf this walk through Juneteenth’s story gave you something to chew on, share The Texan Edge with one person and tell them why you listenThat personal handoff is how this little show finds new ears This isn't just a podcast, it's a Texas state of mind.