Opal Lee, the ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth,’ and community groups were part of a ceremony Thursday to mark the start of construction on Lee’s new house, 85 years after a mob burned her family home down.
On Thursday morning, 97-year-old Opal Lee said she was overwhelmed with joy.
“I could do a holy dance. But the kids say when I try, I’m twerking, whatever that is," she said.
The Fort Worth civil rights icon clapped and bounced with joy as she cut a board, and raised a wall for her new home in Fort Worth's Historic Southside neighborhood.
It was all part of a ceremony that marked the start of construction.
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Lee has stood on that very plot, off East Annie Street and New York Avenue, before. In fact, it's where her family experienced one of their darkest times.
“To tell you the truth, I try so hard to put it out of my mind," Lee said. "Because my mom had this house fixed up so nice."
On June 19, 1939, a white mob gathered outside the family home.
"And the paper says it was 500 of them. And the police were here. My dad came home with a gun from work, and the police told him, ‘If you bust a cap, we’ll let this mob have you,’” she said.
Lee said her parents sent her and her siblings to a friend's house a few blocks away.
“And those people tore this place asunder. They drug the furniture out. They did despicable things," she said.
The house was destroyed. She said her parents never talked about it with them.
"They worked like Trojans, and they bought another house!” she said.
This week, 85 years later, a different group gathered on the plot of land.
“So think about this: This is the second mob on this lot," said Gage Yager, Trinity Habitat for Humanity CEO. "First mob was filled with hate. We’re filled with love. What a better story that is!”
The groups came together, along with city officials, to cement the legacy of the woman who says, "If people can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love."
“I just want to say what a deep honor it is to be a part of this project," said Nelson Mitchell, CEO of HistoryMaker Homes. “You demonstrate to us what a difference one person can make.”
“All of us are here today to celebrate you and what you mean—not just to the city of Fort Worth or to the United States or really to the world, but what it really means to live with love, and forgiveness, and total inspiration. We love you and we’re very proud of you," said Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker.
Nelson also announced that Lee's expected move-in date would be June 19, which Lee helped make a national holiday called Juneteenth, commemorating the day in 1865 when Black slaves learned they were free, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
“I was thinking 2025, and Juneteenth?! Oh, listen, all I’m bringing from my other house is my toothbrush," Lee said.
Lee's home is also just a few blocks from the future National Juneteenth Museum, a project she spearheaded that will honor her work and share the story behind Juneteenth.
“Not only are we remembering history, what happened on this lot, but we get the opportunity to create history," said Christopher Nettles, Fort Worth City Council member for District 8 who said a blessing for the project.
