In 2016, a then-89-year-old Opal Lee walked more than 1,400 miles from her home in Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C. as part of a campaign to convince government leaders to recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday. The civil rights activist was honored by a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2022, and in 2023 she became only the second woman to have her portrait hung in the Texas Senate chamber. But Lee’s greatest accomplishment was galvanizing a million people to sign a petition that helped lead to the recognize of Juneteenth as a national holiday. Widely recognized as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” Lee will be speaking on Thursday, April 11, at the Pikes Peak State College Centennial Campus.
“PPSC is privileged to host Dr. Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth and a Nobel Prize nominee,” says Enrique Romo, vice president of equity and student experience. “Dr. Opal Lee carries a sense of purpose, determination and a mission to educate, uplift and honor our American history. Dr. Lee embodies our American values and how one person can single-handedly change the future of our country.”
In 2021, President Joe Biden signed Juneteenth as the 12th official federal holiday. Lee’s efforts continue to be lauded as an example of the impact one individual can have on the fabric of a nation in effecting societal change.
Lee continues to inspire through her advocacy for equality — and she’s still walking at 97 years old. The annual Opal’s Walk for Freedom is a 2.5-mile walk that represents the two and a half years between Jan. 1, 1863, when Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that abolished slavery and June 19, 1865, when word of their freedom finally reached Black Texan slaves in Galveston. The Opal Walk has become an annual pilgrimage and a tangible expression of progress and continuing work for American civil rights.
This event is open to the public and PPSC encourages the community to attend this historically event. Admission is free, but space is limited. Please RSVP to secure your spot.
PPSC’s discussion with Lee on the significance of Juneteenth, the ongoing struggle for civil rights and the potency of grassroots activism is free and open to the public. But space is limited, and PPSC recommends RSVPing to secure your spot.
The moderated discussion with Dr. Opal Lee will take place Thursday, April 11, 12-1 p.m. at the Pikes Peak State College Centennial Campus Theater, 5675 S. Academy Blvd.
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