Opal Lee

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Opal Lee Has New Home on Lot Her Family Was Driven From

Juneteenth advocate's house was attacked 85 years ago by racist mob

(Newser) - Opal Lee, the 97-year-old Texan known for her push to make Juneteenth a national holiday, was given the keys Friday to her new home, which was built on the same tree-lined corner lot in Fort Worth that her family was driven from by a racist mob when she was 12....

19 Get the Presidential Medal of Freedom Today

Biden will honor politicians, activists, athletes, and more

(Newser) - Clarence B. Jones says he thought a prankster was on the line when he answered the phone and heard the caller say they were from the White House. "I said, 'Is this a joke or is this serious?'" Jones recalled. The caller swore that President Biden wanted...

Woman, 90, on Long Walk to Pitch 'Juneteenth' to Obama

Opal Lee says June 19 ought to be a national holiday

(Newser) - She's almost there. Opal Lee, 90, set out from her home in Fort Worth, Texas, in September with a single goal: a long walk, with a final stop in Washington, DC, where she wants to present her petition to President Obama calling for a federal holiday on June 19....

3 Stories