‘Juneteenth means freedom:’ Grandmother of Juneteenth holiday visits Central Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A history icon made a stop in Richmond on Wednesday. Doctor Opal Lee, who many recognize as the “ Grandmother of Juneteenth” , met with Richmond residents on July 6 and spoke exclusively with 8News.

The honored activist said that after years of fighting for what she believes in and striving to provide a voice for black people in this country, the work is never over. “Juneteenth has been a passion since I was knee high to a duck in Marshall, Texas. The 19th of June freed the land, but Juneteenth freed the people. And the sooner we realize that the better off we are going to be.”

At 97 years old, Doctor Opal Lee is still remembered and acknowledged for her extensive efforts in getting Juneteenth recognized as a national holiday.

“I’m not so sure that people know the meaning of Juneteenth and really it’s so simple. Juneteenth means freedom, and I don’t mean just from black people or people from Texas. It means freedom for everybody,” said Doctor Lee.

June 19th commemorates the day that black people who were enslaved in Texas learned they were free-two years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed all confederate slaves.

Richmond mayor LeVar Stoney was at Richmond International Airport to greet the icon-recognizing how her actions have influenced us here in Central Virginia.

“If it wasn’t for her activism in Fort Worth in Texas, we wouldn’t have Juneteenth as a holiday here. I’m proud here in Richmond that we were the first locality to have Juneteenth as a holiday which led to the Commonwealth of Virginia having the holiday,” said Mayor Stoney.

Dr. Lee’s work has spanned over multiple decades, but more recently her accolades include “ Opal’s Walk” -a 1400 mile walk from her home in Fort Worth, Texas to Washington D.C. The movement started in 2016 as an attempt to raise awareness for the date. Her actions finally paid off in 2021 when President Biden signed the Juneteenth holiday into law.

In 2024 Lee earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom “Oh, I was so happy (to receive the Medal of Freedom) I could have done the holy dance. “

Lee says there’s one thing she wants people to do in the ongoing fight for change.

“Make themselves of committee of one,” she said. To change somebody’s mind, it’s not going to happen in a day. You have to work at it. But if people have been taught to hate, they can be taught to love.”

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