Opal Lee Shares The Importance Of Using Your Voice To Activate Change

Juneteenth represents courage, freedom and the journey to equality. This year’s celebration, the first anniversary since the day it became an official federal holiday, looks a little different—it feels victorious. For the past 157 years, the day has celebrated the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans along with the African-American culture. The celebration originated in Galveston, Texas. It took two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 for enslaved Texans to learn that they were free.

Fast forward to 2016, and up to this point, many attempts had been made to convince Congress that Juneteenth should be recognized as a federal holiday but to no avail. That is until Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth, social activist and author, decided it was time to shape history. At 89 years old, she began… READ MORE HERE