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Opal Lee

Educator, Counselor & Activist; Known as the 'Grandmother of Juneteenth'

Educator, Counselor & Activist; Known as the 'Grandmother of Juneteenth'

Travels From Travels From:
Dallas, TX, USA
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Opal Lee Biography

Known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” Ms. Opal Lee was present on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act bill that established June 19 or “Juneteenth” a federal holiday. Ms. Lee said on that day, “Now we can celebrate freedom from the 19th of June to the 4th of July!”

Ms. Lee was born in Marshal, Texas in 1926 and moved to Fort Worth, Texas in 1937. At the age of 12, her family’s home was destroyed on June 19, 1939, but she nor her family allowed that to deter them from making an impact in the community. She has served on many boards and with many organizations including Citizens Concerned with Human Dignity (CCHD), Habitat for Humanity, and the Tarrant County Black Historical & Genealogical Society dedicated to the preservation of the history of the Fort Worth Black populace. During her tenure as Chairman of the Community Food Bank, the organization received the 1.3-million-dollar 33,000 sq. ft. facility that now serves 500 families a day.

Ms. Lee is the oldest living board member of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) a national movement started by the late Dr. Ronald Myers to have Juneteenth declared a National Holiday. At 90 years of age, she started her walking campaign from Fort Worth, TX to Washington, DC to bring awareness to the need for celebrating Juneteenth nationally. She walked 2.5 miles in cities across the country to represent the 2.5 years it took after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation for enforcement to reach Texas to free the enslaved. In 2019, she launched an online petition campaign that garnered over 1.6 million signatures to continue the crusade for holiday observance.

Opal Lee Videos

  • Ms. Opal Lee on Juneteenth
    Ms. Opal Lee has walked for miles — literally and figuratively — to bring attention to Juneteenth. On Thursday, Ms. Lee visited the White House...
  • Stories of Juneteenth: A Conversation with Ms. Opal Lee
    In 2016, at the age of 89, former teacher and lifelong activist Opal Lee walked 1,400 miles from her home in Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C.,...
  • Grandmother of Juneteenth, Opal Lee, Shares the Importance of the Holiday
    Opal Lee, known in Fort Worth as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth", is a 94-year-old trailblazer on a mission to generate greater recognition for...

Opal Lee Books

  • Juneteenth: A Children's Story
    Juneteenth: A Children's Story

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FAQs on booking Opal Lee

  • How do I book Opal Lee to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Opal Lee for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Opal Lee, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Opal Lee or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Opal Lee

    Speaking fees for Opal Lee, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Opal Lee are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Opal Lee, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Opal Lee speak about?

    Opal Lee is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Activism, Authors, Black History, Business, Culture, Diversity Speakers, Non Profit, Social Justice, Virtual Speakers.
  • Where does Opal Lee travel from?

    Opal Lee generally travels from Dallas, TX, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Opal Lee’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Opal Lee for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Opal Lee for your next private or corporate function.
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    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Opal Lee or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Opal Lee is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Opal Lee for your event is available upon request. Opal Lee generally travels from Dallas, TX, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Ijeoma Oluo, Nikki Giovanni, Bakari Sellers, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill and Tamika D. Mallory. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Opal Lee for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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