Deaconess Opal Lee, the “Grandmother” of Juneteenth

Deaconess Opal Lee, the “Grandmother” of Juneteenth

Visits St. John AME Church

Barbara Johnson, Ninth Episcopal District

The Joy of Juneteenth

Sunday, August 28, 2022, was Deaconess Opal Lee Day at St. John AME. Dr. Lee, known as the “Grandmother” of Juneteenth was in Huntsville for a speaking engagement at the University of Alabama, Huntsville Campus. As her team planned her trip, one thing became very apparent, on Sunday she wanted to attend a service at the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Dr. Lee had met Pastor Wright and the delegation from St. John in Atlanta at the Christian Education Congress in July. She hinted at the time, that she would be visiting Huntsville and would visit St. John.

The church was all a buzz on the morning of the 28th. Designated seating had been arranged for her entourage. She was bringing with her a journalist from the local news station in Fort Worth as well as her escorts and security. Deaconess Lee was at St. John as a guest, she was not on the program to speak.  She was elated to be sitting with St. John’s Deaconesses, Barnes-Ivery and Mary Powers since she is a Deaconess at her church, Baker Chapel AME in Fort Worth, Texas.

About mid-way the service, before Pastor Wright preached, he introduced and welcomed Deaconess Lee to St. John and to the service. She came forward and expressed how happy she was to be at St. John, and she could not wait to get back to her church and let them know how much she enjoyed the service.

Deaconess Lee is the oldest living board member of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, a national movement started by the late Dr. Ronald Myers to have Juneteenth declared a National Holiday. Dr. Lee was present on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, thereby establishing June 19, or “Juneteenth,” as a federal holiday. Ms. Lee said, on that day, “Now we can celebrate freedom from the 19th of June to the 4th of July!” Texas Congressman Marc Veasey and 33 other members of Congress nominated Ms. Lee for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize for her work to “advance understanding and respect between individuals of different backgrounds and socioeconomic levels.” The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony will be on Saturday, December 10, 2022.

At the conclusion of the service, Deaconess Lee was escorted to the narthex to prepare for a signing of her book, The Joy of Juneteenth and to take pictures with as many people as possible.