FORT WORTH, Texas — Juneteenth icon Opal Lee, of Fort Worth, is receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the White House announced Friday.
Lee was one of 19 recipients of the award that were announced.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor in the country, "presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors."
Lee, 97, is best known for her decades-long campaign to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday, a dream that was realized in 2021, when President Joe Biden officially designated the holiday.
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery after the Civil War, recognizing the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas two years after it was issued. Juneteenth is celebrated annually on June 19.
Here was Lee's description on 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 to officially make 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.
Watch WFAA's extended conversation with Opal Lee from 2022: