Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth

Synopsis

Black activist Opal Lee had a vision of Juneteenth as a holiday for everyone. This true story celebrates Black joy and inspires children to see their dreams blossom. Growing up in Texas, Opal knew the history of Juneteenth, but she soon discovered that many Americans had never heard of the holiday. Join Opal on her historic journey to recognize and celebrate "freedom for all."

Every year, Opal looked forward to the Juneteenth picnic—a drumming, dancing, delicious party. She knew from Granddaddy Zak's stories that Juneteenth celebrated the day the freedom news of President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation finally sailed into Texas in 1865—over two years after the president had declared it! But Opal didn't always see freedom in her Texas town. Then one Juneteenth day when Opal was twelve years old, an angry crowd burned down her brand-new home. This wasn't freedom at all. She had to do something! But could one person’s voice make a difference? Could Opal bring about national recognition of Juneteenth? Follow Opal Lee as she fights to improve the future by honoring the past.

Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.

Copyright:

2022

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

Book Size:

32 Pages

ISBN-13:

9781400231270

Related ISBNs:

9781400231287, 9781400231256

Publisher:

Thomas Nelson

Date of Addition:

03/17/23

Copyrighted By:

text by Alice Faye Duncan, art by Keturah A. Bobo

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Children's Books, Nonfiction, Biographies and Memoirs

Reading Age:

4–8

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.