Courtesy of Hookfin Enterprises, Inc.
Opal Lee
Opal Lee's dream of making Juneteenth a national holiday is taking another step further.
Fort Worth-based public affairs and marketing firm Sable Brands, LLC announced Tuesday that it plans to build the National Juneteenth Museum in the Historic Southside neighborhood as part of a mixed-use development meant to revitalize the area.
Spearheading the museum is Lee, the 95-year-old activist from Fort Worth best known for her annual Walk 2 DC event, which raised awareness and gathered signatures for a petition to make Juneteenth a national celebration. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to notify enslaved African Americans that they were free — more than two years after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Not every state recognized the commemoration until this past June, when President Joe Biden signed a bill establishing Juneteenth as a national holiday.
Lee, who's been dubbed the "Grandmother of Juneteenth" for her efforts, already has a small museum dedicated to the holiday (recently seen in the 2020 feature film "Miss Juneteenth") that's stood for two decades. The new museum will be built on that spot and feature more "state-of-the-art" elements, the pen Biden used to sign the Juneteenth bill, and other exhibits, along with space for events, Lee says.
“To have lived long enough to see my walking and talking make an impact is one thing, but to know that a state-of-the-art museum that will house the actual pen that President Biden used to sign the bill and many other exhibits is coming to pass as well ... I could do my holy dance again," Lee said in a statement.
According to a news release, "Exploration of the richness of the American tapestry and global canvas is the ultimate goal of the museum’s directors." The museum has the support of "a collaboration of activists, researchers, historians, and everyday people," including Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker.
“For decades, Juneteenth has been part of the fabric of our city," Parker said in a statement, "and this museum is a welcome addition to its incredible legacy."
