None of us are free until we're all free, and we aren't free yet!"—Opal Lee

When Opal Lee was twelve, angry neighbors burned down her family's Texas home because of the color of their skin. From that day forward, Opal decided to speak up for equality.

Opal became a teacher, community leader, and civil rights activist, passing down the true stories others had forgotten. She especially loved talking about her favorite holiday, Juneteenth. The celebration marks the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people, way down in Galveston, Texas, finally learned they were free. When Opal Lee was eighty-nine, she walked from her home in Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., to call for Juneteenth to be named a national holiday.

Opal Lee and What it Means to Be Free is the true story of one woman's belief that remembering the past is the key to a better future. As Opal Lee brought the story of Juneteenth to the nation she called Americans of every background to embrace the hope and spirit of Juneteenth—full freedom for all.

From the dust jacket