Opal Lee Taught Us. Honoring and Learning from the Grandmother of Juneteenth

June 19, 2023

Today Positive Women’s Network-USA (PWN) commemorates Juneteenth, in recognition of the emancipation of Black people enslaved across the United States. In the spirit of celebrating and honoring Black women, we want to express our gratitude and give flowers to the Grandmother of Juneteenth, Opal Lee, who fought tirelessly to ensure that the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was signed into law.  In 2016, at the age of 89, Opal Lee walked more than 1,400 miles  from her home in Fort Worth, TX to Washington, D.C. to demand that Juneteenth be declared a federal holiday.

The “walk for freedom” took her more than four months. In 2021, when President Biden finally declared Juneteenth a federal holiday, Opal Lee was by his side at the signing. She is the keeper of the pen that the President used to sign this Act into law. We are thankful for Opal Lee and her fervent devotion to social justice and Black liberation.

Pictured above Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth.
Juneteenth remains the oldest national commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S.

Learn more about the history behind Juneteenth here.

While Juneteenth marks a moment to celebrate and commemorate freedom from enslavement, we are clear that there is still so far to go in our struggle for Black liberation. Just in recent weeks we have witnessed preventable deaths of Black birthing people, anti-Black violence and murder enabled by the State, and deadly attacks on Black children.

Tori Bowie * Ajike Owens * Ralph Yarl * We speak your names.

From Atlanta’s Cop City to Justin J. Pearson and Justin Jones of the Tennessee Three, we witness increasing attempts to intimidate and silence Black elected officials, and an expansion of violent surveillance and policing of Black and Indigenous organizers and freedom fighters designed to suppress dissent. 

The dream of Black liberation is actively being targeted. Yet, the words and actions of Opal Lee inspire us with a path forward.

“We are bit free until all people are free.” – Opal Lee, 2022

Black liberation becomes possible when we are in active practice of racial justice, healing justice, and abolitionist lenses in our work, our organizing spaces, and within interpersonal relationships. Committing to Black liberation is a practice, not an end point. Because of the ways white supremacy and anti-Black racism jointly function, it is a lifelong journey requiring rigor, discipline and focused efforts for individuals and movements. PWN calls upon our white and non-Black POC members, allies, staff, movement partners, and the broader HIV community to join us in unlearning and dismantling white supremacist and anti-Black thinking.

“Share your thoughts and ideas with others.  You never know who is listening and who can elevate your efforts.” – Opal Lee, 2022

We call on Black women, trans and gender non conforming folks living with HIV to share your ideas, your thoughts, your feedback. We know that racism impacts mental and physical health and also affects how Black people show up in spaces. We call on our Black members to take up space in our movement, in our communities, in our organization. Submit your musings and insights to #PWNspeaks Blog and to the member newsletter, RAP UP. Consider where you can step into leadership roles and let us know how we can best support you. And for those who do not identify as Black women and TGNC folks living with HIV: listen to Black women and trans folks living with HIV! You can start by listening to Venita Ray and Kamaria Laffrey discussing how anti-Blackness operates in HIV spaces and how it impacts Black women leaders in the HIV field.

“Use Juneteenth to educate, heal and solve many of the socioeconomic problems that disproportionately affect the Black community.” – Opal Lee, 2022

At PWN, we know that our communities continue to be harmed by oppressive policies rooted in racism. This may recently be most visible in states like Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, and Texas but anti-Black, racist policies and practices show up everywhere, at every level, and we are committed to combat and dismantle them everywhere we see them. PWN will continue to do the internal work, the political education of our staff, members, and leaders, to prioritize the needs and wisdom of Black cis and trans women living with HIV so that we can grow our ability to actively move anti-racist policies and practices that benefit our Black members.

Will you join us? Take the pledge to Celebrate and Honor Black Women in the HIV Movement here.

We celebrate and honor Juneteenth as a  symbol of radical change and also recognize how far we at PWN and the broader HIV community have to go. This Juneteenth statement  is an invitation and call to action for the HIV movement, especially non-Black folks, to join us along Liberation Way and learn about anti-Blackness, learn from the experiences of Black women, and learn how to dismantle anti-Black racism.

Black people deserve far beyond a month or day of recognition. Along the journey to Black liberation, it will take all of us to cause a seismic shift. Opal Lee showed us it is possible—it begins with one small step, a deep look within, and trust in the leadership of Black women.