Opal Lee, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” is a retired teacher, activist, and local legend. In 2016, at the age of 89, she pledged to walk from her home in Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C. in support of the campaign to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. She ultimately traveled to cities around the country, walking two and a half miles each day to symbolize the two and a half years that Black Texans waited between when Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, abolishing slavery, and the day the news finally arrived in Galveston, Texas. In 2021, Lee stood alongside President Biden as he signed the bill into law. In 2022, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Today, Lee is active in the running of Opal’s Farm, an organic urban farm on the banks of Trinity River that is tackling the neighborhood's food desert. She is involved in several community groups and helped establish the Tarrant County Black Historical & Genealogical Society, which is dedicated to preserving local African American history.
The Funk Family Upstander Speaker Series showcases individuals and organizations who stand up for human rights on a local, national, or global level.
Named in loving memory of Blanche & Max Goldberg | Fannie & Isaac Funk.
Tickets
$10 per person | Free for Museum Members
If you are a Museum Member, please log into the Member Portal to access your free tickets. Contact [email protected] with any questions.The Museum does not offer refunds for purchased tickets.
The conversation will be moderated by Leona Allen Ford, Deputy Publisher and Chief Talent and Diversity Officer at The Dallas Morning News. A Pulitzer Prize-winner, she has filled a number of roles in her 28 years at The News, including editorial board member, deputy managing editor for Local News, and assistant managing editor. She is the former longtime chair of Dallas Morning News Charities, which has contributed $30 million over the years to organizations that serve the hungry and homeless. She also serves as vice president of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas board of directors.Event Sponsor:
Thomson Reuters
Community Partners:
Aaron Family Jewish Community Center of Dallas
AJC Dallas
CitySquare
Communities Foundation of Texas
Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture
Denton Black Film Festival
Greenhill School
Hope Supply Co.
Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas’ Jewish Community Relations Council
Mavs Take ACTION!
Refugee Services of Texas
Southwest Jewish Congress
Temple Shalom
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Price
- $10
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