Our History
With Juneteenth becoming a national holiday, Dr. Jessie Fields convened Black leaders from the All Stars Project—Antoine Joyce, Omar Ali, Gloria Strickland and David Cherry—in a conversation on Juneteenth. It was here that Dr. Raquell Holmes learned of Opal Lee, the activist who led the decades-long campaign for Juneteenth to become a national holiday, and was inspired to organize, in 2023, the first Freedom Festival.
Why Independence?
Juneteenth and July 4th are national holidays that are celebrated in small and large ways. The backyard barbecue, the visits with neighbors, a small trip, all kinds of food. No one needs a large institution or someone else to throw their party. They are our days to party, to talk, to examine what we think freedom and independence mean. Grassroots efforts are ones that spring from the people. Juneteenth celebrations spread across the country as the descendants of Texas moved and took their traditions and recognition of a hard won freedom with them.
Opal Lee
Opal Lee campaigned for decades to have Juneteenth recognized as a federal holiday as it marked the final freeing of enslaved Americans. The holiday was signed into law in 2021. She called for celebration from Juneteenth through Independence Day. Together, we are creating a new cultural moment in the United States, sixteen days of celebration.
"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." — Opal Lee