Opal Lee, the 96-year-old Texan whose efforts helped make Juneteenth a federal holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S., became on Wednesday only the second Black person whose portrait will hang in the senate chamber of the state Capitol.
Lee, who began her advocacy to make Juneteenth a holiday at the age of 89, was lauded by senators from both parties who took turns praising her tenacity and legacy. Among them was state Sen. Royce West, a Democrat who is one of two Black senators in the 31-member chamber.
Opponents of Confederate monuments at the state Capitol have fought to remove them for years, and West said there still needs to be a discussion about which portraits were “appropriate” to remain in the state's senate chamber and which should be in a museum's collection.Rosalind Roland, 62, was among the lively crowd gathered in the upstairs gallery to watch the unveiling.
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Opal Lee, 'grandmother of Juneteenth,' gets Texas portraitAUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Opal Lee, the 96-year-old Texan whose efforts helped make Juneteenth a federal holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S., became on Wednesday only the second Black person whose portrait will hang in the senate chamber of the state Capitol.
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Opal Lee, 'grandmother of Juneteenth,' gets Texas portraitOpal Lee became on Wednesday only the second Black person whose portrait will hang in the senate chamber of the state Capitol.
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Texas Senate honors Opal Lee, the 'Grandmother of Juneteenth'Opal Lee is known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth' because she was instrumental in getting June 19 designated as a national holiday.
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Opal Lee, 'Grandmother of Juneteenth,' has her portrait enshrined at Texas CapitolShe is now the second Black woman with a portrait in the state senate, joining Barbara Jordan.
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Opal Lee, 'grandmother of Juneteenth,' gets Texas portraitOpal Lee now has the honor of being the second Black Texan recognized with a portrait in the state Senate.
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Opal Lee ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth' to Speak at Holocaust MuseumOpal Lee (96), who was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, is also credited by the White House for years of dedication in having Juneteenth made into a national holiday.
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