FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF News ) – The North Texas woman known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” is being celebrated today for her life’s work, despite not winning the 2022 Nobel Peace prize.
A crowd gathered at the Paris Coffee Shop in Fort Worth ahead of Friday’s announcement, to acknowledge Opal Lee’s accomplishments and celebrate her birthday.
Amid the fanfare, Lee thanked her supporters.
“Thank you for that birthday wish I am feeling like the Queen of Sheba,” she said.
Despite not winning the coveted prize, Lee told our media partner WFAA TV she’s focused on work she said still needs to be done and encouraged North Texans to participate in a day of service this weekend at the Community Food Bank of Fort Worth at 3000 Galvez Avenue.
“We’ll walk from the food bank that I was a part of before I retired and we’ll walk into Opal’s Farm. They can volunteer at the food bank. They can volunteer at the farm,” said Lee.
Lee was nominated for the prize by Congress for her decades long civil rights work and for advocating to making Juneteenth a federal holiday.
She’s also the force behind the first National Juneteenth Museum, which opens in Fort Worth in 2025.
The Nobel Peace Prize was given to activists from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.
Copyright 2021. WBAP/KLIF News. All Rights Reserved.
