Latest news with #OpalLee
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Opal Lee returns to Fort Worth after Ohio hospitalization
The Brief Opal Lee, the 98-year-old "grandmother of Juneteenth," has returned to Fort Worth after being hospitalized in Ohio. She's currently resting and not doing interviews, though she did take a call from former Vice President Kamala Harris. Lee will still participate in her Juneteenth Walk for Freedom on June 19, but will use a golf cart to conserve energy. FORT WORTH, Texas - Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth, is back in Fort Worth after being admitted to the hospital in Ohio. The 98-year-old returned home from her out-of-state hospital stay on Monday evening. Dionne Sims, Lee's granddaughter, says the 98-year-old has been resting, reading and staying in bed. For now, she is not doing any interviews to give her time to rest. What they're saying "I think one of the things she is most encouraging young people to do is to take Juneteenth, take the baton and go forward. you'll hear that, she's always said it. I think we just need to pay attention to what she said. She always said It's not a me thing. It's a we thing," said Sims. There is one call that Lee did take. Former vice president Kamala Harris called after she heard about her hospital stay. What they're saying "She had a big smile on her face, right. To think that the former vice president, would call to check in on her, really, it made us feel special. We all know that she is, but I don't think she realizes she is," Sims said. Lee's health is leading to some changes for her Juneteenth festivities, including her Walk for Freedom on June 19. She will still take part in the walk, but will be in a golf cart. What they're saying "It was always the plan to have my grandmother in a golf cart, one so we can finish in a timely manner, but it's just time," Sims said. "It is named for her but we definitely don't want to wear her out, so I think that is the name of the game, to keep her here as long as possible." The Source Information in this article comes from an interview with family members of Opal Lee.
The Independent
02-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Opal Lee ‘the grandmother of Juneteenth' is recovering after hospital visit
Opal Lee, known as the 'Grandmother of Juneteenth,' is recovering in the hospital but 'doing well and in good spirits,' her family says. Lee was hospitalized last month after visiting Ohio to mark the 30th anniversary of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, The Dallas Morning News reported. The 98-year-old is known for her decades-long campaign to establish Juneteenth - June 19 - as a national holiday, a dream that came to fruition in 2021 thanks to then-President Joe Biden. The Fort Worth, Texas, civil rights leader is 'still unstoppable,' despite her hospitalization, according to a news release from Unity Unlimited Inc., a nonprofit run by her granddaughter Dione Sims. "She is doing well and in good spirits," Sims said in a statement, according to WFAA. "We are waiting on discharge orders." Lee is currently recovering in the hospital in Ohio, but is looking forward to returning home to Texas. It was not immediately clear why she was hospitalized or how long she had been there. Lee thanked those who have reached out to check on her in a Facebook post, writing, "Although I am unable to return the many texts and calls I have received over the past few days, please know that each one is appreciated; I am truly grateful for your concern and good wishes.' Lee became known as the 'Grandmother of Juneteenth' for her decades-long activism and efforts to make the day a federally recognized holiday in the U.S. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery after the Civil War, and recognizes the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas two years after it was issued. It is now celebrated every year on June 19 after Biden officially designated the day a holiday.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Juneteenth 2025: What to know about the federal holiday
Juneteenth is a federal holiday that recognizes the freedom of formerly enslaved Black people. The commemoration traditionally takes place on June 19 to commemorate the day in 1865 when Major Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in the state of Texas to share the news of the Emancipation Proclamation, announcing the official end of the Civil War. This year, the holiday falls on a Thursday. Here's all you need to know about the approaching celebration: Juneteenth was signed into law as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, by former President Biden. He was surrounded by civil rights activists including Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Opal Lee. Opal Lee is known as the 'Grandmother of Juneteenth,' after walking 2.5 miles each year to symbolize the two and a half years it took for news of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach Texas. In 2016, at age 89, she walked from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., hoping to convince former President Obama to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday. Five years later, Biden completed the task and awarded Opal Lee with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her advocacy work. The first Juneteenth celebration took place in 1866, one year after Granger's order. Some referenced the holiday as 'Jubilee Day' or 'Freedom Day' and gathered in homes, parks and communities to celebrate. The holiday was first listed on the calendar of public events in 1872 with the help of the government's Freedmen's Bureau agency for newly freed Black people. Later that year, a group of Black organizers in Texas pooled together $1,000 for the purchase of 10 acres now known as Houston's Emancipation Park, where Juneteenth celebrations are hosted to date. The Freedmen's Bureau recently digitized its search portal for archives from 1865-1872 to allow family historians and genealogists to research the history of their ancestors in the United States. On Juneteenth, the U.S. Postal Service, banks and the stock market will be closed. Nonessential government employees will also be granted the day off from work. Many people use the Juneteenth holiday as a time to reflect on the country's past. Cities and states across the country typically host educational programming to inform individuals of the 250,000 Blacks who gained their freedom in honor of the holiday. Celebrations may include readings of former president Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, cook outs, festivals and Miss Juneteenth contests across the country. Some may also sing the Black national anthem, 'Lift Every Voice and Sing.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Juneteenth 2025: What to know about the federal holiday
Juneteenth is a federal holiday that recognizes the freedom of formerly enslaved Black people. The commemoration traditionally takes place on June 19 to commemorate the day in 1865 when Major Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in the state of Texas to share the news of the Emancipation Proclamation, announcing the official end of the Civil War. This year, the holiday falls on a Thursday. Here's all you need to know about the approaching celebration: Juneteenth was signed into law as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, by former President Biden. He was surrounded by civil rights activists including Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Opal Lee. Opal Lee is known as the 'Grandmother of Juneteenth,' after walking 2.5 miles each year to symbolize the two and a half years it took for news of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach Texas. In 2016, at age 89, she walked from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., hoping to convince former President Obama to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday. Five years later, Biden completed the task and awarded Opal Lee with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her advocacy work. The first Juneteenth celebration took place in 1866, one year after Granger's order. Some referenced the holiday as 'Jubilee Day' or 'Freedom Day' and gathered in homes, parks and communities to celebrate. The holiday was first listed on the calendar of public events in 1872 with the help of the government's Freedmen's Bureau agency for newly freed Black people. Later that year, a group of Black organizers in Texas pooled together $1,000 for the purchase of 10 acres now known as Houston's Emancipation Park, where Juneteenth celebrations are hosted to date. The Freedmen's Bureau recently digitized its search portal for archives from 1865-1872 to allow family historians and genealogists to research the history of their ancestors in the United States. On Juneteenth, the U.S. Postal Service, banks and the stock market will be closed. Nonessential government employees will also be granted the day off from work. Many people use the Juneteenth holiday as a time to reflect on the country's past. Cities and states across the country typically host educational programming to inform individuals of the 250,000 Blacks who gained their freedom in honor of the holiday. Celebrations may include readings of former president Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, cook outs, festivals and Miss Juneteenth contests across the country. Some may also sing the Black national anthem, 'Lift Every Voice and Sing.'
CBS News
12-02-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Fort Worth City Council approves land for National Juneteenth Museum
By S.E. Jenkins February 11, 2025 / 10:23 PM CST / CBS Texas FORT WORTH — Tuesday night the Fort Worth City Council approved the demolition of a community center to build the National Juneteenth Museum in its place, marking a major milestone in the museum's development. The museum will replace the Southside Community Center on New York and Rosedale streets in the Historic Southside neighborhood. Bjarke Ingels Group and KAI Enterprises New renderings offer a glimpse into what's to come. Museum officials hope to have the grand opening of the museum in 2026, when Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth, turns 100 years old. The developers said when it opens, the museum will bring jobs and tourism to the community, and serve as a portal to our past. Historic Southside neighborhood The Historic Southside was once a bustling center of black life culture and commerce in the city in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The neighborhood fell into decline in the 60s when it was divided by the creation of I-35. But soon the Historic Southside will be the home of the National Juneteenth Museum. The team working to make the museum a reality previously told CBS News Texas that it's fitting the museum will be placed there. "This is going to be a catalytic project that's going to allow us to reinvigorate what once was and to see the glory of the Historic Southside again," Jarred Howard, the CEO and lead developer of the National Juneteenth Museum, previously said. In: Juneteenth Black History Month North Texas Fort Worth S.E. Jenkins S.E. Jenkins is a digital content producer for CBS Texas. She has also been a Digital Content Producer in Tallahassee and Myrtle Beach. S.E. graduated with journalism degrees from Texas State University, Aarhus Universitet and City, University of London.
