Opal Lee, the 98-Year-Old Grandmother of Juneteenth, Is DC's Spirit This June
Opal Lee, the 98-year-old activist who made Juneteenth a federal holiday, is the spirit powering DC's biggest June celebrations. Here's her story.
In brief
Opal Lee is the 98-year-old Fort Worth activist credited with making Juneteenth a federal holiday. Known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth, Lee spent decades marching, petitioning, and advocating before President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021. Her signature move — a 2.5-mile walk symbolizing the 2.5-year delay between the Emancipation Proclamation and the announcement of freedom in Texas on June 19, 1865 — became a national ritual. Washington DC celebrates her legacy every June on the National Mall and across neighborhoods from Shaw to Southeast.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Opal Lee, born in 1926, launched her formal Juneteenth campaign at age 89 — walking 2.5 miles to symbolize the 2.5-year freedom delay.
President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021, making it the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.
Interfaith America named Lee a Pluralism Hero for her work bridging communities across racial, religious, and cultural lines through Juneteenth advocacy.
Washington DC hosts some of the nation's most significant Juneteenth events, including free concerts on the National Mall and celebrations in historic Black neighborhoods like Shaw and Anacostia.
Lee's story is a masterclass in long-game activism — proof that sustained, joyful, community-rooted pressure moves the machinery of government.
Who Is Opal Lee? The Woman Who Walked America Toward Juneteenth
Opal Lee was born on October 7, 1926, in Marshall, Texas. She grew up in Fort Worth, where at age 12 she witnessed a white mob burn down her family's newly purchased home in a white neighborhood — a visceral introduction to the violence that structures American racial geography. That memory never left her. Neither did her resolve.
A retired educator who spent decades teaching in Fort Worth's public schools, Lee began organizing formal Juneteenth recognition efforts in the 1990s, long before the holiday had any federal status. She knocked on doors, hosted community cookouts, and collected petition signatures with the quiet ferocity of someone who understood that freedom deferred is freedom denied. NPR profiled her tireless campaign as the movement gained national momentum.
Her most powerful gesture was elegantly simple: starting at age 89, Lee began taking 2.5-mile walks every June 19th to represent the 2.5 years that enslaved people in Texas waited — from January 1, 1863, when the Emancipation Proclamation took effect, to June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and formally announced freedom. She invited her community to walk with her, and they did — hundreds at first, then thousands, then a nation.
From Fort Worth Sidewalks to the Oval Office: Making History at 94
The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act moved through Congress with bipartisan support in June 2021, passing the Senate unanimously and the House 415-14. President Joe Biden signed it into law on June 17, 2021 — two days before the holiday itself. Opal Lee, then 94, stood in the East Room of the White House and wept. She called the moment "just a step," because for her, the legislation was never the finish line — it was an invitation for deeper national reckoning.
"I want people to know that Juneteenth is not just for Black people," Lee told reporters outside the White House. "It's for everyone. It's an opportunity to come together." That universalist framing — Juneteenth as American healing, not only Black celebration — is precisely why Interfaith America recognized her as a Pluralism Hero, honoring leaders who build bridges across difference rather than walls against it.
The honor situates Lee within a tradition of faith-rooted civic activism that DC knows well — from the pulpits of historic churches along 16th Street NW to the advocacy networks anchored at Howard University's School of Divinity. Her pluralism isn't passive; it's a strategic insistence that Black freedom is the precondition for American democracy, not a footnote to it. Follow more on DC's political power landscape at our DC Politics Guide 2026.
Why Washington DC Carries Opal Lee's Legacy Every June
Washington DC doesn't just observe Juneteenth — it performs it at scale. The nation's capital, home to federal institutions and one of the most politically conscious Black communities in America, transforms every June 19th into a full-throated assertion of Black joy, history, and power.
The National Park Service hosts free Juneteenth events on the National Mall, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the space between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol — two monuments to the contradictions of American freedom. In 2023 and 2024, the National Mall and Memorial Parks anchored programming that included live music, historical exhibitions, and community activations. This year's 2025 commemoration is expected to expand that footprint.
Beyond the Mall, neighborhoods like Shaw — the historic heart of Black DC, once home to Duke Ellington and a thriving U Street corridor — host block parties, jazz performances, and family reunions that feel like the living embodiment of what Lee marched for. Southeast DC's Anacostia community, anchored by the Anacostia Community Museum, connects Juneteenth to the longer arc of African American history in the capital. Explore the cultural fabric of these communities in our DC Power Players Index.
Opal Lee and the Theology of Black Joy
What Interfaith America recognizes in Opal Lee isn't just political persistence — it's a spiritual posture. Lee has consistently framed Juneteenth not as a day of mourning but as a festival of freedom. Her cookouts in Fort Worth, which she hosted for years before any legislation existed, centered food, music, dance, and intergenerational connection. She understood what scholars of African American religion have long argued: that joy is not the opposite of justice, it is its expression.
That theology resonates deeply in Washington DC, a city where Black church culture has shaped everything from civil rights legislation debated on Capitol Hill to the sound systems at go-go shows in Northeast. The same community that marched on the Mall in 1963 now fills the Wharf on Juneteenth weekend, celebrating with the full-throated confidence of people who know their history and refuse to be diminished by it.
Lee's influence also runs through DC's educational institutions. Howard University — the crown jewel of HBCUs located just blocks from the U Street corridor — has made Juneteenth programming central to its academic calendar. Learn more about Howard's cultural role at our Howard & HBCU DC Guide.
Why This Matters in Washington
Washington DC is not a neutral backdrop for Juneteenth — it is the argument. The city where slavery was legal until April 1862, where the Emancipation Act predated Lincoln's Proclamation by nine months, and where Black residents were denied voting representation in Congress for most of the 20th century is now the city that hosts the nation's premier federal Juneteenth commemoration. That tension is the point.
Opal Lee's designation as a Pluralism Hero by Interfaith America lands with particular weight in a capital where religious and civic identities intersect daily — at National Cathedral prayer services, at AME churches in Anacostia, at Eid celebrations in Adams Morgan, and at the annual National Prayer Breakfast. Her model of pluralism — rooted in specific Black experience but extended as an invitation to all Americans — maps cleanly onto DC's own aspirational identity as a city that holds the nation's contradictions and tries, imperfectly, to resolve them.
For DC residents who track the city's political influence landscape, Lee's story is also a case study in how grassroots, sustained advocacy can reshape federal policy without a lobbying budget or a K Street office — just conviction, community, and very good walking shoes.
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FAQ: Opal Lee, Juneteenth, and Washington DC
Q: Who is Opal Lee and why is she called the Grandmother of Juneteenth? A: Opal Lee is a 98-year-old Fort Worth, Texas, activist and retired educator who spent decades advocating for Juneteenth to be recognized as a federal holiday. She earned the nickname "Grandmother of Juneteenth" for her sustained, community-rooted campaign that included annual 2.5-mile walks and petition drives. Her advocacy directly contributed to the passage of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, signed into law by President Biden in June 2021.
Q: What does the 2.5-mile walk symbolize? A: Opal Lee's signature 2.5-mile walk represents the 2.5 years that enslaved people in Texas waited to learn of their freedom. The Emancipation Proclamation took effect on January 1, 1863, but news didn't reach Galveston, Texas, until June 19, 1865 — when Union soldiers arrived and formally announced emancipation.
Q: When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday? A: President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021, establishing June 19th as a federal public holiday. It was the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established in 1983.
Q: How does Washington DC celebrate Juneteenth? A: DC hosts Juneteenth events across the city, including free programming on the National Mall organized by the National Park Service, neighborhood celebrations in Shaw and Anacostia, events at Howard University, and cultural activations along the Southwest Waterfront. The capital's celebrations blend political history, Black cultural heritage, and community joy.
Q: Why did Interfaith America name Opal Lee a Pluralism Hero? A: Interfaith America recognized Lee for her ability to frame Juneteenth as a celebration for all Americans — not only Black communities — while still centering the specific history of African American freedom. Her approach models the kind of pluralism that builds coalitions across racial, religious, and cultural lines.
Q: What is the connection between Opal Lee and Washington DC? A: While Lee is based in Fort Worth, her advocacy made its most consequential mark in Washington DC, where Congress passed the Juneteenth legislation and where the federal holiday is now commemorated annually on the National Mall. DC's historic Black neighborhoods and institutions carry forward the spirit of her work each June.
The bottom line: Opal Lee didn't wait for Washington to come to her — she walked toward it, literally and legislatively, for decades. At 98, the Grandmother of Juneteenth stands as proof that joyful, persistent, community-rooted activism can reshape the federal calendar and the national conscience. As DC fills the National Mall and the U Street corridor this June 19th, every step taken in celebration is a step she imagined long before the law made it official.
What to watch next: Look for expanded Juneteenth programming at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture on the Mall in summer 2025, and track whether Congress takes up Opal Lee's continued call to make Juneteenth a true national day of education and reconciliation — not just a day off. Follow WDCM's Culture coverage and Politics tag for updates as the summer season unfolds.
Reporting drawn from: Interfaith America. Washington DC Magazine provides original analysis, DC-specific context, and editorial perspective beyond the source material.This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by WDCM editorial staff. Washington DC Magazine is committed to accuracy, transparency, and editorial integrity. If you believe any information in this article requires correction, please contact editor@washingtondcmagazine.com.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
