Many might recognize the name Dr. Opal Lee for her work championing Juneteenth as a federal holiday, including her 1,400-mile trek from Fort Worth, Texas to D.C. which she started in 2016 at the age of 89.
While her Juneteenth mission was accomplished in 2021, when former President Joe Biden (D) officially signed legislation commemorating June 19 as the official end of U.S. chattel slavery, Lee remains dedicated to another goal: eliminating food scarcity through agriculturalism.
Before she was affectionately coined the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” the Texas native grew up spending her summers at her grandparents’ house in Texarkana, which was home to a big garden thriving in fruits, vegetables, and livestock.
Now, Lee, 98, runs Opal’s Farm in Fort Worth, Texas, working to inspire other farmers to invest in home-grown produce, encourage entrepreneurial experience, and eliminate food scarcity in her city.
“You have people who, at a food bank, they’re getting food, [but] how come they don’t know [how] to grow their own food, huh? So you start somewhere. I wish they could do it in their backyard,” Lee said in a February 2024 profile with NBC’s 1st Look.
Born in Marshall, Texas on October 7, 1926, Lee’s passion for community outreach has only amplified with age.
Throughout her decades of civic activism, Lee has served on the boards of many organizations centered around humanitarianism and social justice, including Citizens Concerned with Human Dignity (CCHD), Habitat for Humanity, and the Tarrant County Black Historical & Genealogical Society, dedicated to preserving the history of the Fort Worth Black populace.
As one of the founders and former chairs of the Community Food Bank of Fort Worth, formerly the Metroplex Food Bank established in 1982, Lee sought out the $1.3-million, 33,000 sq. ft. facility that now serves 500 families a day.
According to Unity Unlimited, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering peace and unity through educational activities and resources, she even continues her advocacy of personally delivering boxes of food to the elderly and shut-in, as she did when the former food bank was unable to operate.
“There’s always so much to be done,” Lee told 1st Look. “There’s always something or somebody that needs something.”
Lee currently serves on the board of Unity Unlimited, where she’s continued to bring her agricultural dreams into fruition, including partnering with Tarleton State University to bring forth the Taste the C.U.R.E. (Community Urban Farming Resource Education) campaign. The free six-month program, which began Jan. 25, works to combat food insecurity and health inequities by making nutritious foods more accessible.
Participants will attend Opal’s Farm for a hands-on experience gaining the knowledge and skills to build a sustainable food system using organic and regenerative farming.
“There’s something about farming and working that land that has such a positive impact on people,” Lee once said. “Gardening is so good for your mind and your soul, and the food is so good for your body.”
Today, Lee continues to garden regularly in Opal’s Farm, which is officially recognized as a USDA People’s Garden. In addition to working with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to supply healthy food options to the local food bank and market, she passionately shares wisdom and compassion to local customers and farmers, cultivating a spirit of community on the farm that often inspires others to do the same.
“She’s like a cool celebrity, she’s motivation,” an Opal’s Farm farmer told 1st Look last February. Others described the Texas titan as a “hero” and “the most loving and forgiving spirit.”
Celebrating Lee’s Critical Contributions
As Lee’s treasured activism and agricultural contributions remain evident in history, she is living proof of a commitment to serving others and creating lasting impact where needed.
On March 20, Lee will be one of three trailblazers honored in the annual Women Making History Awards Gala here in D.C., an achievement bestowed to women in various fields who have made a profound impact on society.
“We are incredibly proud to be celebrating this incomparable group of honorees at our gala. They have each made indelible contributions to society that will endure for generations to come,” said Susan D. Whiting, chair of the NWHM Board of Directors, in a press release.
The Grandmother of Juneteenth may be recognized for the 1,400-mile journey to Washington, D.C., but her enduring legacy stands as a catalyst for future leaders to carry the torch of passion and commitment.
“I want young people to know that, things that you start, if they are right, if there are things you’re passionate about, then you must continue to do, especially if it’s something that’s going to benefit you, your family or the people in your neighborhood, city, state,” Lee said in a 2023 interview. “Don’t give up. You’ve got to get to the finish line.”
