Opal Lee (born October 7, 1926) is an American retired teacher, counselor, and activist in the movement to make Juneteenth a federally-recognized holiday.

[2] On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed Senate Bill S. 475, making Juneteenth the eleventh federal holiday.

[11] Recalling it years later, she said, "The fact that it happened on the 19th day of June has spurred me to make people understand that Juneteenth is not just a festival.

[13] In 1952, Lee graduated from Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, receiving her Bachelor's degree in elementary education.

[13] She taught at Amanda McCoy Elementary School for 15 years, working nights at Convair to support her children.

Lee helped found the Tarrant County Black Historical and Genealogical Society, alongside civil rights activist Lenora Rolla.

At the age of 89, she conducted a symbolic walk from Fort Worth, from which she departed in September 2016, to Washington, D.C., where she arrived in January 2017.

[24] Lee has not only marched in Texas, but also in Fort Smith and Little Rock, Arkansas; Las Vegas, Nevada; Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Atlanta, Georgia; Selma, Alabama; and the Carolinas.

"[11] In June 2021, at the age of 94, her efforts succeeded as a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden.

[36] She was also included in the 2021 book Unsung Heroes for operating a food bank, farm, and community garden[37] throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.