But this year, the retired teacher and community advocate has recalled this moment to remind Americans of the importance of Juneteenth, the official end of slavery in the United States, as the cry for freedom continues.
Four years ago, Lee made headlines for her campaign to make Juneteenth a national holiday, in which she visited towns from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., walking a few miles in each city, and attending Juneteenth festivities along the way.
Courtesy of Opal Lee
Opal Lee and her supporters for the campaign to make Juneteenth a national holiday.
This year, Lee will walk 2.5 miles from the Fort Worth Convention Center to the Will Rogers Coliseum, leading a caravan of cars to celebrate Juneteenth.
Hella Juneteenth is also pushing for companies to designate the day as a paid holiday, highlighting the work of Black people and businesses and ultimately working toward a national holiday.
