“Juneteenth means freedom. And it means it for everybody. Not just Texans, not just Black folk, but for everybody. And we're not free yet.” Dr. Opal Lee delivered these words during her virtual appearance as the keynote speaker at the Coast Guard Headquarters' Juneteenth celebration on June 17th, 2024. Dr. Lee, also known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth, has been a pivotal figure in the movement to recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
Juneteenth, which combines June and 19th, commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers informed enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas that they were free. This was about two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, which declared the freedom of enslaved people in Confederate states on January 1, 1863.
Dr. Lee’ experiences growing up during a time of racial segregation, discrimination, and the Jim Crow laws fueled her determination to fight for justice and equality. She has since dedicated her life to raising awareness about Juneteenth’s historical significance and in 2016, Dr. Lee symbolically walked from her home in Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., to deliver a petition to the White House, advocating for the national recognition of Juneteenth.
Reflecting on her march, Dr. Lee stated, “I don't have the slightest idea what I had hoped to accomplish. Except I wanted everyone to know about Juneteenth and freedom…And I thought if an old lady in tennis shoes walked from Texas to Washington DC, somebody would take notice and they did.”
Members of the audience react to a joke from Dr. Opal Lee during Coast Guard Headquarters' Juneteenth celebration, 17 June 2024. (USCG Photo by Patrick Ferraris)
Her actions garnered significant attention and rallied millions of Americans behind a campaign to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Her years of activism came to fruition when President Joseph Biden signed the National Juneteenth Independence Day Act into law on June 15th, 2021. Dr. Lee was beside the President when he signed the legislation that established Juneteenth as a new federal holiday. “I was so humbled. I was so thankful. And I know the millions of people who helped do this, they were pleased too,” Lee stated when looking back at the signing.
Dr. Lee's march exemplified the impact that a single individual can make and encouraged the Coast Guard workforce to take personal initiative. She said:
"Make yourself a committee of one to change somebody's mind. We know people who aren't on the same page we are on. Change their minds. If people have been taught to hate, they can be taught to love, and it's your responsibility to make that happen."
LCDR Charron McCombs listens to Dr. Opal Lee's remarks during Coast Guard Headquarters' Juneteenth celebration, 17 June 2024. (USCG Photo by Patrick Ferraris)
Dr. Lee concluded her remarks with a powerful reminder: “I want you to remember that the Fourth of July freed the land. Juneteenth freed the people. Don’t you forget it.”