Mr. Lee, 97, is best known for his decades-long campaign to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Juneteenth icon Opal Lee of Fort Worth will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the White House announced Friday.
Mr Lee was one of 19 winners announced.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest honor bestowed upon a U.S. civilian, and is given to individuals who are “exemplary of their commitment to the prosperity, values, security, world peace, or other significant social, public, or private endeavors of the United States.” Awarded to individuals who have made a contribution.
Lee, 97, is best known for his decades-long campaign to make Juneteenth a national holiday, a dream that will become a reality in 2021 when President Joe Biden officially designates the holiday. did.
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery after the Civil War and recognizes the Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect in Texas two years after it was promulgated.
Here's Lee's explanation in the list of award recipients released by the White House:
Opal Lee is an educator and activist known for her efforts to make Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday. More than 150 years after that day in Texas, she joined President Biden in officially making Juneteenth a national holiday in 2021.
Other Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients announced Friday included Nancy Pelosi, Al Gore, Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky and Michael Bloomberg.
Check out Opal Lee's extended conversation with WFAA from 2022:
