Opal Lee, the indefatigable 97-year-old activist known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” will soon add another prestigious honor to her legacy of advocacy for civil rights.
Southern Methodist University (SMU) will present Lee with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree during its May 11 commencement ceremony.
“Having Ms. Lee join us at commencement and share her work through a symposium is a signal honor for our University,” SMU President R. Gerald Turner said in a released statement. “Her life’s work is most deserving of this recognition, and our students will be inspired by her.”
Lee’s decades-long campaign culminated in her being present when President Joe Biden signed legislation establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday in 2021, finally recognizing the end of slavery after the Civil War. In 2016, at age 89, she embarked on a symbolic 1,400-mile walk from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., to rally support for the recognition.
“I have to say to you, I have only been president for several months, but I think this will go down, for me, as one of the greatest honors I will have as president — not because I did it, you did it, Democrats and Republicans,” Biden said to her at the time. “It’s an enormous, enormous honor.”
Beyond her Juneteenth efforts, Lee’s dream of rebuilding her family home that was destroyed in a 1939 racist attack was recently realized. After years of trying to repurchase the land, a housing organization sold her the lot for just $10 and offered to construct a new home, with Lee helping raise the first wall last month.
Her vision extends further with plans for a $70 million National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth, where she has operated a modest museum. The new 50,000-square-foot facility will serve as a museum, cultural hub, business incubator and mixed-income residential community. Lee serves as the honorary chair.
Lee’s pioneering efforts have garnered numerous accolades, including being named 2021 Texan of the Year, a 2022 Nobel Peace Prize nomination, and having her portrait unveiled in the Texas State Senate chamber. With SMU’s honorary doctorate, the university honors her “unwavering commitment to civil rights.”