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Opal Lee, ‘grandmother of Juneteenth,’ spends 100th birthday at the center of celebrations in Texas
The museum said the project marks a major step toward its $70 million goal and honors Lee’s decades of Juneteenth advocacy.
- On Wednesday, October 7, 2026, civil rights leader Opal Lee celebrated her 100th birthday as Fort Worth began demolishing the Southside Community Center to make way for the $70 million National Juneteenth Museum.
- Planned for the Historic Southside, the facility aims to preserve Juneteenth history and revitalize the neighborhood, with organizers raising over $50 million toward the $70 million goal and needing $20 million more.
- The National Juneteenth Museum will feature a 250-seat theater, galleries, and a genealogy center, bolstered by a $3 million donation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints supporting the tribute to the "Grandmother of Juneteenth."
- At 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Fort Worth Convention Center, Former First Lady Michelle Obama will headline the museum's Uniting Voices Speaker Series, hosting "A Conversation with Michelle Obama" to honor Lee's centennial.
- Construction of the facility is expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027, as Lee believes "there's so much else that needs to be done" beyond securing Juneteenth's federal recognition.
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29 Articles
29 Articles
Associated Press News+13 Reposted by 13 other sources
Opal Lee, 'grandmother of Juneteenth,' spends 100th birthday at the center of celebrations in Texas
Opal Lee, a driving force in making Juneteenth a federal holiday, spent her 100th birthday on Wednesday at the center of celebrations in her Texas hometown.
·New York, United States
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Opal Lee celebrates 100th birthday by kicking off construction of Juneteenth museum
Opal Lee celebrated her 100th birthday by kicking off the start of construction of a museum in her Texas hometown dedicated to telling the history of Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. Lee became known as the “grandmot...
·New York, United States
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At 100, Juneteenth's 'grandmother' Opal Lee vows to 'keep on walking' for social issues
Opal Lee, considered the grandmother of Juneteenth, turned 100 years old. She attended a ceremony at the site of the planned Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth featuring former first lady Michelle Obama.
·Washington, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources29
Leaning Left13Leaning Right0Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution52% Left
Bias Distribution
- 52% of the sources lean Left
52% Left
L 52%
C 48%
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