Watch Live: Fort Worth honors life and legacy of Dr. Opal Lee, the "Grandmother of Juneteenth"

Fort Worth leaders are celebrating the life and accomplishments of Dr. Opal Lee, lovingly known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," on Thursday afternoon.

Lee, who will turn 100 years old in October, is recognized for her lifelong commitment to unity, freedom, community outreach, and fighting to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, which she achieved in 2021.

She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024 for her efforts.

The North Texas icon holds a "Walk of Freedom" – walking two and a half miles every Juneteenth to symbolize the two and a half years it took for enslaved people in Texas to learn they were free, after the Emancipation Proclamation. She missed the 2025 walk because she was in the hospital.

Her planned walk kicks off at 9 a.m. Friday at Rogers Square in Fort Worth.

In January of this year, Lee was honored by Barbie with an Inspiring Woman doll. "Our doll tribute to this visionary wears a signature look for her annual Opal's Walk for Freedom, including white joggers, sneakers, and a custom T-shirt," the company said.

And at a meeting with the State Board of Education in Austin in April, Lee's granddaughter, Dione Sims, advocated for the inclusion of Lee in Texas' Juneteenth curriculum.

"I want to petition for her to be a required person to study Juneteenth," Sims said. "People that have to do with freedom, liberty, and unity; she's the embodiment of that. Helping to get Juneteenth as a national holiday, I think deserves to be mentioned." 

Thursday's ceremony honors Lee's legacy, with special guests like Fort Worth Police Chief Eddie Garcia and Fire Chief Raymond Hill.