Who Is The ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth’ Opal Lee?
- By
Tanay Hudson
Lee’s Childhood Home Was Vandalized on Juneteenth
Growing up in Marshall and Fort Worth, Texas, celebrating Juneteenth every year was the norm for Lee. She compared the annual festivals to Christmas and said the town would spend the day picnicking, playing baseball and other games and enjoying lots of different foods.
When she was nine, the joyous occasion was soured when a white mob destroyed her home.
“They burned furniture. They set the house on fire. It was terrible. It really was,” Lee told CNN about the hate crime, which happened on Juneteenth.
It all happened a week after Lee and her family moved into an all-white neighborhood. No arrests were ever made.
Comment Disclaimer: Comments that contain profane or derogatory language, video links or exceed 200 words will require approval by a moderator before appearing in the comment section. XOXO-MN
