Juneteenth Celebrated June 19 as Opal Lee’s Legacy Spurs Washington State Events

Juneteenth is a federal holiday celebrated on June 19 in the United States, commemorating the end of slavery and the emancipation of enslaved people.

President Joe Biden officially designated June 19 as a federal holiday in 2021, after the House of Representatives passed legislation with a vote tally of 415 to 14 and Biden enacted it the subsequent day.

Complex

The holiday’s origins are tied to June 19, 1865, when Texas—described as the last rebel state—learned that enslaved people were freed by the Emancipation Proclamation issued in 1863.

In Washington, DC, the holiday’s modern recognition is linked to Opal Lee, who is described as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” and who spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden after he signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

A local guide for Washington state events says the “largest Juneteenth celebration in WA state” will take place on June 19, 2025, with a music festival featuring performances by Fred Hammond, Crystal Aiken, and Soul For Real.

Opal Lee, described as a 99-year-old activist known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” has spent decades teaching and organizing while reminding Americans that freedom is bigger than a single day.

The Complex profile says Lee began her symbolic Walk for Freedom in 2016 at age 89, walking 2.5 miles to represent the two-and-a-half years it took for news of emancipation to reach Texas.

Deseret News

USA TODAY reports that Lee told the paper, “There are those who've gone before us, those who have taken that time to pass things on to us in a manner that we learn and so it's our responsibility to see that others learn from us,” as she shares 99 years of wisdom and advocacy.

The USA TODAY account also ties Lee’s advocacy to a personal turning point, saying that when Lee was 12, a racist mob destroyed her family’s house and all their belongings.

ShareAmerica (.gov) adds that in 2016 Lee began a long walk from Fort Worth to Washington, and that she made 2.5-mile walks as a symbol of the delay before Texas slaves learned they were free.

In the USA TODAY interview, Lee frames Juneteenth as a message meant to reach beyond Black Americans or Texans, saying, “When I practice freedom, I tell you, it’s for everybody and it means that we should in every way possible share the things we know.”

“SEATTLE - Juneteenth is a federal holiday commemorating the end of all slavery in the United States, This year, the holiday will be celebrated on Thursday, June 19”

FOX 13 Seattle

USA TODAY also reports that Lee’s activism is reflected in her book “A Committee of One,” which is described as part memoir and part self-help, and that she is celebrating this Juneteenth by sharing her story.

The Economic Times quotes Lee saying, “We have simply got to make people aware that none of us are free until we’re all free, and we aren’t free yet.”

ShareAmerica (.gov) says Lee is raising funds to create a National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth, with opening planned for 2024, and that she intends to continue raising awareness of Juneteenth and the effects of racism.

As the holiday is observed nationwide, the FOX 13 Seattle guide describes multiple community events in Seattle, including the Juneteenth CommUnity Celebration at 9 a.m. at The Union on Second Avenue and the Juneteenth Festival at Jimi Hendrix Park running from noon until 8 p.m.