FORT WORTH, Texas — Her 1,400 mile walk took her across the country, to President Joe Biden’s side as he made Juneteenth a federal holiday. Now she is honored on the walls of the Texas Capitol.
A portrait of Fort Worth’s Opal Lee was unveiled Wednesday in the Texas Senate chamber, where it will hang to recognize the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.” The portrait was recommended by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in July 2021.
Biden signed a law in 2021 designating a holiday commemorating the June 19, 1865, announcement of General Order No. 3, declaring the freedom of slaves in Texas. The announcement came nearly two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
