By Marvin Hurst
FORT WORTH, Texas (KTVT) — Ms. Opal Lee turned 100, and the woman known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” had a former first lady help her celebrate a century of life, legacy and unfinished business.
Michelle Obama headlined a special speaker series at the Fort Worth Convention Center, capping Lee’s centennial celebration while raising funds for the National Juneteenth Museum.
For the crowd, it was more than a birthday party. It was a call to action.
“It was awesome!” Dr. Lyndia Thomas said. “I enjoyed Michelle’s speech. I enjoyed the audience, the atmosphere, and everything. She was outstanding.”
Obama shared personal stories about life in the White House, the scrutiny she faced, and the lessons she learned along the way.
Analisa Gabriel brought her niece, Gabrielle Diaz, a recent college graduate who has admired the Obamas for years.
“It wasn’t so much about the politics, but it was just about her and her life and lessons,” Gabriel said. “I was glad that I had my niece with me because she had life lessons for her young people.”
Diaz said she even received a letter from Barack and Michelle Obama when she graduated from high school.
For others, simply sharing the room with two women who have shaped American history was overwhelming.
“I never would have said that I’m gonna be in the same room, in the same air, with Ms. Opal and Mrs. Obama,” Rita Green-Bibbs said. “I love it.”
Green-Bibbs called the experience life-changing.
But the night wasn’t just about looking back.
Party attendee M.J. Jones said Obama’s message was clear: The responsibility to create change belongs to the next generation.
“There’s change that still needs to happen,” Jones said. “Her job is not done. And she kind of instilled that in us tonight to keep going and to keep fighting.”
That message echoed Lee’s own lifetime of advocacy.
The Fort Worth civil rights icon helped lead the national effort to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Now, her vision for the National Juneteenth Museum aims to preserve that history and educate generations still to come.
At 100 years old, Lee’s legacy is still being written.
And on a night celebrating a century of her life, the crowd left with a reminder that the work she started is far from finished.
The-CNN-Wire
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