opal lee? [applause] ms. lee: hello, young people. [laughter] ms.: and no, you are all young people if you are not 96. [laughter] please, can i just say this to you, young folks? make yourself a committee of one to change somebody's mind. if people can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love, and it is up to you to do it. we are the most powerful country in the whole united states, and we must get together and get rid of the disparities, the joblessness and homelessness and health care that some people can get and others cannot and climate change that we are responsible for. and if we don't do something about it, we are all going to hell in a hand basket. vice. pres. harris: and with that -- [laughter] and with that -- [laughter] [cheers and applause] vice. pres. harris: and with that, i thank you, ms. opal lee for your years in advocacy, leadership, and truth telling. happy juneteenth to everyone. may god bless you and may god bless the united states of america.

opal lee. opal, thank you for being here. you are the reason we are here in large part. was leaning over and telling kamala, i have spoken before nobel prize, i have spoken after the pope. i've spoken to medal of honor winners, military honor winners, but my lord, i never spoken before a group like this. i had the honor to bestow some of our nation's highest awards to some of our nation's most important black artists. to paraphrase maya angelou, people will never forget how you make them feel, and you all made us feel incredibly welcome. [applause] tonight's performers help us feel the power of juneteenth, black music month, among other things. as comella described earlier, to honor the true meaning of juneteenth, our entire administration charged forward to literally redeem the soul of america. the first time i said i was running, i said i was running for three reasons, and even some of my staff thought i was crazy. i said the first reason was to restore the soul of america. restore decency and honor. making juneteenth a federal holiday was not just a symbolic gesture.

caller: opal lee is a texas native who is 96 years old now. former schoolteacher turned activist whose own family had been burned out during juneteenth and her childhood. her family home was burned down because they moved into a previously all-white neighborhood. she has been called the godmother of juneteenth. i write about her in this issue of texas monthly magazine. opal lee did a walk for juneteenth to try to make juneteenth a federal holiday. her walk beginning in 2015, she continued to walk all around the nation and connected many strands of the juneteenth story together. we have juneteenth celebrations in houston and in places like austin and dallas, but we also have huge demonstrations in milwaukee, we have demonstrations in new york. we have demonstrations in atlanta and los angeles. in a lot of ways what ms. opal lee did was magnify and amplify that story of juneteenth and she did it through her own personal biography, and in many ways, i talked about ms. opal lee and lawrence thomas whose family had been presumably owned by the foun

opal lee joins me now along with her granddaughter. miss opal lee, happy juneteeth!n a row. have you gotten used to that yet? >> not really. i still pinch myself to be sure it's the truth. >> well, it's the truth because you made it the truth. everybody calls you the grandmother of juneteeth because you spent decades working to make juneteeth a federal holiday. for the people who don't know, can you talk a little bit about how you did that? how did you help make this a federal holiday? >> oh, listen, i had, had children, four of them. i had taught school, third grade, 8-year-olds. i was beginning to act like them so they gave me another job. i had been responsible with others, started a food bank. i have what's called opal's farm. but i had this feeling that there was something else i should be doing. and, so, we gathered at my church, the minister, a school board member, a county commissioner, lots of others. and they gave me this send-off, because i decided if i walked from fort worth to washington, d.c. 1,400 miles, somebody would take notice. >> i want to bring y

the ceremony making juneteenth a federal holiday, president biden got down on his knee to greet opal lee, the 94-year-old activist known as the grandmother of juneteenth. this is biden speaking about lee. pres. biden: as a child growing up in texas, she and her family would celebrate juneteenth. on juneteenth 1939, when she was 12 years old, a white mob torched her family home. but such hate never stopped her, any more than it stopped the vast majority of you i'm looking at from this podium. over the course of decades, she has made it her mission to see that this day came. it was almost a singular mission. she has walked for miles and miles, literally and figuratively, to bring attention to juneteenth, to make this day possible. amy: and this is opal lee speaking at harvard school of public health. >> i don't want people to think juneteenth is just one day. there is too much educational components. we have too much to do. i even advocate that we do juneteenth, that we celebrate freedom from the 19th of june to the fourth of july because we weren't free on the fourth of july, 1776. that w

joining me now is the grandmother of juneteenth herself, miss opal lee. honorary national co-chair of the juneteenth legacy project. she was president at the white house when president biden signed juneteenth into law two years ago, miss opal lee, good to see you on the show thank you for being with us. thank you for having me. >> it is. an honor to have you here, for many years juneteenth was just simply not a household name among white people and some black people but now thanks to the hard work of people like you and others, this has been your life's mission. what made you want to make this into a national holiday? >> well, you'd need to know about pierre the talks i had, and one of them was doctor -- myers. he was a medical doctor, he was a minister, and a jazz musician all rolled into one. well, docks responsible for some 42, if not more states having some kind of commemoration, so i think maybe some of doc rubbed off for me. and i think he might be looking down now and saying it is about cotton picking time you got it done. >> as we discussed in the

opal lee. as my mother would say, god love her.resident joe biden signed a bill to recognize juneteenth as a federal holiday, and acknowledged opal lee's singular mission. pres. biden: she's walked for miles and miles, literally and figuratively, to bring attention to juneteenth, to make this day possible. i ask, once again, we all stand and give her a warm welcome to the white house. [applause] >> to be in the white house with the president and the legislators, and all of those good people. i could have done a holy dance, but my kids say when i drive, i'm twerking, so i didn't. geoff: asked about the best part of realizing her dream for juneteenth, the retired school teacher is quick with an answer. >> to see how eager the children are to learn. and i think it's a travesty taking books out of the school. we should be able to teach the good, the bad, the ugly. so it doesn't happen again. geoff: opal lee says we should honor our country's second independence day by reflecting on our shared history and future. >> if people can be tau

and back in texas, the annual opal lee walk for freedom drawing supporters in ft. of one. >> reporter: opal lee, the woman known as the grandmother of juneteenth leading the march at 96 years old despite sweltering temperatures. it was her walk in 2016 when she was 89 that helped convince lawmakers to recognize june teenth as a federal holiday. texas was the first state to make juneteenth an official holiday in 1980, but it wouldn't become federal until 2021 when president biden signed the law marking juneteenth national independence day. this year, 28 states and the district of columbia legally recognized juneteenth as a holiday. connecticut celebrating it as a legal state holiday for the first time. and kentucky's governor declaring june 19, 2023, to be juneteenth national freedom day in his state. >> i will also continue to push for this day to be recognized at an official state holiday. >> reporter: celebrating the progress made and the work that still needs to be done. >> this is an ode to our ancestors and systemic racism is still real. black love and joy is

opal lee. you can see vice president harris embracing her. dr. lee nicknamed the grandmother of juneteenth. she spent decades fighting to make juneteenth nationally recognizes. every year she holds a 2 1/2 mile march in fort worth, texas, to symbolize the amount of time it took for emancipation to reach the slaves in galveston. >> i'm just delighted to be out here and hoping these young people are aware that we're walking for freedom. >> dr. lee says she plans to continue to lead the yearly juneteenth walk as long as she is physically able. >>> well, it has been two years since that moment when dr. opal lee watched president biden sign the federal holiday bill into law. but back here at home, a major labor union says it is still in a fight to have that day recognized as a formal holiday in san francisco. our velena jones explains. >> juneteenth! >> reporter: beyond the cheering, the formal recognition of juneteenth as a holiday means more than just a day off. >> it's just an awareness to us as far as the struggles that we've had and the things th

caller: opal lee is a texas native who is 96 years old now.choolteacher turned activist whose own family had been burned out during juneteenth and her childhood. her family home was burned down because they moved into a previously all-white neighborhood. she has been called the godmother of juneteenth. i write about her in this issue of texas monthly magazine. opal lee did a walk for juneteenth to try to make juneteenth a federal holiday. her walk beginning in 2015, she continued to walk all around the nation and connected many strands of the juneteenth story together. we have juneteenth celebrations in houston and in places like austin and dallas, but we also have huge demonstrations in milwaukee, we have demonstrations in new york. we have demonstrations in atlanta and los angeles. in a lot of ways what ms. opal lee did was magnify and amplify that story of juneteenth and she did it through her own personal biography, and in many ways, i talked about ms. opal lee and lawrence thomas whose family had been presumably owned by the founder of ga

opal lee advocated to make juneteenth a federal holiday. on to make lee's dream a reality. in galveston, texas, thousands of people attended a juneteenth festival. on june 19, 1865 the union army arrived in galveston and told thousands of black slaves that the civil war was over and they were free. like so many black americans lee vernon newbie jr. fought for freedom in world war ii only to be denied basic human rights when he returned home, especially in the jim crow south. jason carol reports his fight isn't over. >> reporter: 1923, the year of the charleston, the time before television, fm radio. the year lee vernon newbie jr. was born in jackson, tennessee, 100 years ago. >> i was living a quiet life. >> reporter: not so quiet. in 1942 at the onset of america's entry into world war ii, newbie made history. he was drafted into the u.s. marine corp. when he was 18 years old, making him one of the first african american marines. >> i was nervous, yeah. i didn't know what i was getting into it. i was -- i wanted to serve my country. >> did y

you might remember opal lee . she i considered the grandmother of juneteenth because she worked for decades to bring recognitio to this important date. >>> we hope you are having a wonderful juneteenth and to share your photos, be su to use the hashtag #kpix. >>> up next we will hear from the new free-agent draymond green! >>> i >>> big news today about one of the warriors big three. we are also hearing from the new general manager. a lot of sport news today. vern glenn is here to talk about it. >> read, it was a big day and i was all done by noon. dunlevy, first-round draft pick by the warriors in 2002 told us today that he was a little bit apprehensive on the transition. >> asked me if i could do the job. i said i'm a little bit uncomfortable taking your job. and he said come on, man. it is just a job. so we had a laugh about that. at that point we were like okay. good to go here got boss approval which is good >> done leaving will get right to work. free agency starts with draymond green. as expected, green opt

in fort worth, texas, the woman known as the grandmother of june juneteenth, 96-year-old opal lee, lead led the fight to declare it a federal holiday. >>> minneapolis police are looking at the unauthorized release of a video crash and a michigan man is making violent threats. the "new york post" reports a man was arrested for allegedly stockpiling weapons and planning a mass shooting at a michigan synagogue. federal prosecutors say 19-year-old seann pietela was arrested friday after fbi agents raided his home after discovering weapons and a nazi flag. investigators say there was a note on his phone listing a synagogue in east lansing along with a date and a list of equipment including homemade bombs. he also allegedly discussed the plot on social media. >>> the "minneapolis star tribune" says police are investigating the unauthorized release of transit vehicle showing a hit-and-run car crash that killed five women. mourners gathered yesterday for the funeral of the five women, all between the ages of 17 and 20. police say they were killed friday when a man driving about 100 miles per ho

opal lee led a mas freedom in texas, something she has done for years. the two and a half mile walk represents the two and a half years it took for america's last enslaved people in galveston, texas, to learn about the emancipation proclamation freeing the slaves. >> now is the time that we can show the world that america does not stay --, it actually comes forward. dion: we saw huge celebrations in denver and philadelphia which pushed the country's largest. when juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021 and president biden signed the national independence day act legislation passed by congress. dan: marin city is holding its seventh annual juneteenth festival today. the event kicked off at 9:00 this morning with a prayer breakfast. dion: then the festival followed a ceremony it rocking grant park. people could enjoy live music, vendors, food and performances from local and international talents. if you still want to join, the event is going until 7:00 tonight. dan: and in san francisco, the international longshoremen union 110 gathered to celebrate j

. >> juju: and in fort worth, texas 96-year-old opal lee, the grandmother of juneteenth, once again leading" you can watch all of our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here same time tomorrow. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america.

in fort worth, texas, 96-year-old opal lee right there took part in a 2 1/2-mile freedom walk. she spent decades advocating for this day to be recognized as a national holiday, and she's known as the grandmother of juneteenth. >>> well, some communities out west are a hot spot for some migrating crickets. that's straight ahead. ♪ dove 0% with coconut and jasmine is aluminum free and gives you 48 hour odor protection. with a scent that goes strong all day long. and we're kinder to skin too. nobody's coconuts work harder. one prilosec otc each morning blocks heartburn all day and all night. prilosec otc reduces excess acid for 24 hours, blocking heartburn before it starts. one pill a day. 24 hours. zero heartburn. -we're done. -what about these? looks right. nooo... nooo... quick, the quicker picker upper! bounty absorbs spills like a sponge. and is 2x more absorbent so you can use less. bounty, the quicker picker upper. dove 0% with coconut and jasmine is aluminum free and kind to skin. it dries instantly, with no visible residue. with 48 hour odor protection, nobody's coconuts

in fort worth, texas, 96-year-old opal lee took part in a two and a half mile freedom walk.g for the state to be recognized as a national holiday, and she is known as the grandmother of juneteenth. some communities out west are a hot spot for some migrating crickets. that straight ahead. ♪ ♪ i have the responsibility to let my children know who they are. and where they came from. and what my ancestry is. and what my hopes and dreams for them are. ancestry is such a great gift for someone who not only loves history but is also a great storyteller. it was the best gift that i ever received in my entire life. because it opened up my life. now on sale for father's day. we're here today to set the record straight about dupuytren's contracture. surgery is not your only treatment option. people may think their contracture has to be severe to be treated, but it doesn't. visit findahandspecialist.com today to get started. (michael) copd is harder on the folks around you, i think. my wife smoked, and she quit. because she needs to be here for to take care of me. (announcer) the people

. >> juju: and in fort worth, texas 96-year-old opal lee, the grandmother of juneteenth, once again leading the 2 1/2-mile walk representing that long wait for freedom. happy juneteenth. that's "nightline." you can watch all of our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here same time tomorrow. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america. i'm living with hiv and i'm on cabenuva. for adults who are undetectable, cabenuva is the only complete, long-acting hiv treatment you can get every other month. it's two injections from a healthcare provider. i really like the flexibility. and for me, it's one less thing to think about while traveling. don't receive cabenuva if you're allergic to its ingredients or if you taking certain medicines, which may interact with cabenuva. serious side effects include allergic reactions post-injection reactions, liver problems, and depression. if you have a rash and other allergic reaction symptoms, stop cabenuva and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have liver problems or mental health concerns, and if you are pregnant, breastfe

. >> linsey: in fort worth, texas, for years now, 96-year-old opal lee has led a 2 1/2 mile walk representing2 1/2 years. tonight that retired teacher and activist who many call the grandmother of juneteenth for her work in making it a national holiday says let us keep fighting and march in unity. and from santa barbara, california, to detroit, michigan, black-owned businesses gathering together saying they are grateful to their communities. >> we can't do anything alone and so to have everybody come together to really celebrate black people in the city of detroit is a great thing. >> linsey: back in washington, d.c., the robinson family celebrating juneteenth together saying they're hopeful. >> i think we're progressing forward every day. you know, people from all walks of life here in this line, you know, colors, so i think that's powerful and impactful. >> optimistic about progress. i love seeing pal back out there, and in in celebration of juneteenth, hip hop at 50, a soul of the nation airs tonight at 10:00 eastern o here on abc. we thank you so much for watching. i'm linsey davis, for d

how does that -- >> opal lee herself. >> crazy, it's very humbling.ng dichotomy of this space we live in, this western culture. always having to argue for points that should be self-explanatory. at the same time, i celebrate the allies. i celebrate our brothers and sisters that are not part of our experience. they understand how important it is to the tapestry of american history that we get it right. >> you talk a lot near music and share a lot about struggles, the struggles that we all have, human beings in general. and you've struggled, you've struggled with the concept of organized religion. >> i still do. >> here you are, the most popular contemporary gospel singer, how did that happen? how did you get through the struggle. >> and i am not -- i am one of a great community of gospel artist. there are several. you can keep going on and on. i'm just one of the links in the great chain. it's something very healing. there has been such weaponization within the framework of western christiana. that has been not official to the ongoing narrative of what

mile march called opal's walk for freedom. leeked for years to have juneteenth be declared a federal holiday. she's often described as the grandmother of juneteenth. and you can check out other ways the bay area celebrated juneteenth. just scan the qr code on your screen for our extensive coverage of holiday events or you can go to ktvu .com/ juneteenth. golden state warriors forward draymond green has opted out of the final year of his contract, which would have paid him $27 million. but that doesn't necessarily mean that he is leaving the team. yeah, the announcement, though, coming the very same day that the warriors introduced their new general manager, mike dunleavy jr. joe fonzi joining us now and boy, this was some introduction when you have news like this as well. yeah, no question about it. when someone of the stature of a new general manager is introduced for the first time, there's usually a honeymoon period. you don't get a honeymoon when you're expectation is to keep winning nba championships. there will be no easing

slaves to a national holiday was made possible by decades of effort from people like 96-year-old opal leendmother of juneteenth, who recently appeared at the white house juneteenth concert alongside vice president kamala harris. this year at least 28 states, and the district of columbia were legally recognizing juneteenth as a public holiday. a study of 400 large companies found at least a third of them offer juneteenth as a paid day off, and retailers such as walmart, ikea, and dollar tree have begun marketing juneteenth merchandise to their customers. i'm pleased to see the rise and national profile of juneteenth. but i also hope that the bay can be used to spark a deeper dialogue on topics important to african americans. including the issue of reparations. earlier this month, lawmakers in new york voted to join states such as california and creating commissions to examine the persistent economic political and educational disparities. -- as a result of slavery. and to generate workable proposals for how we can materially redress address these wrongs. not everyone is on board with the id

you can see from al edwards who made the state holiday, the first one in the state of texas, to opal leehe people you met in galveston, mr. griffin, ms. collins. there's so many layers of people that i've just come from that indicate the reflective time of america's history and it should be honored and recognized as well as it should be used to catapult us to change america and to remove -- >> we just -- congresswoman, we just lost our communication with you as you were finishing that sentence so important, every single thing that we aukd about congresswoman sheila jackson lee, thank you so much for being with us. i appreciate it. there she is in her car going from one place to another, doesn't stop working. >>> still ahead, new details on multiple deadly shootings over the holiday weekend from illinois to washington state as gun violence continues to plague this country, we're seeing major progress on that front in another nation. it took them actually two days to effectuate change we'll talk about that next u'yore watching "jose diaz-balart reports" on msnbc. the first inkling that som

restricts some instruction on race and you have others listening to the wise words of a 96-year-old opal lee juneteenth, a federal holiday. >> i'm just delighted to be out here and hoping these young people are aware that we're walking for freedom. none of us are free until we are all free and we aren't free yet. >> a little bit of words to the wise and perhaps some education on this day, however you choose to mark this federal holiday speaking of holidays, something i mentioned earlier in the show that we've been cooking up is next are we working too much in america? there are signs that not on say yes but that we can fix it it's the new installment in our open mind seriesex nt. feel darkest before dawn. with caplyta, there's a chance to let in the lyte. caplyta is proven to deliver significant relief across bipolar depression. unlike some medicines that only treat bipolar i, caplyta treats both bipolar i and ii depression. and in clinical trials, movement disorders and weight gain were not common. call your doctor about sudden mood changes, behaviors, or suicidal thoughts. antidepressants

be sure to join me tomorrow with my conversation of the grandmother of juneteenth herself, miss opal leethe movement to elevate juneteenth to a federal holiday. she made in her life's mission, and that mission was accomplished. she is 96 years old, at the age of 89, she walked from texas to d.c.. -- about a mile from here. that's tomorrow morning, right here on velshi. but first, right after the break i'm gonna call -- velshi banned book club. on the agenda, you know dawson, this book is gay. imagine that this one has been banned. keep it here, back at 11. , back at 11 we're talking about practicing-- practicing good financial strategy. ...by cashbackin. what'd you think i was talking about? -not a game. -not a game. -talking about cashbackin. -cashbackin. cashback like a pro with chase freedom unlimited. how do you cash back? when you're ready to go... but static and wrinkles are like, nooooo! take back your look with bounce. it's the sheet. ♪ less static. it's the sheet. less wrinkles. it's the sheet. for more softness, more freshness. yep, bounce. it's the sheet. get more of the look