Fort Worth is set to become the permanent home of the National Juneteenth Museum, a milestone that celebrates the city’s deep ties to one of America’s most significant civil rights milestones — and to the woman most responsible for making Juneteenth a national holiday.

The museum is coming to Fort Worth, the hometown of civil rights icon Opal Lee, whose decades-long campaign to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday succeeded in 2021. It is a fitting tribute that the institution dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Juneteenth will be rooted in the very city where Lee lived and led her movement.

The arrival of the National Juneteenth Museum represents a major cultural and community milestone for Fort Worth, adding a landmark institution that will draw visitors, educate future generations, and honor the legacy of freedom that Juneteenth commemorates. For a city that watched Opal Lee — affectionately known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” — walk her symbolic two-and-a-half miles year after year in pursuit of national recognition, the museum’s establishment here carries special meaning.

Fort Worth has long celebrated Juneteenth with community events and gatherings, and the museum will give those traditions a permanent, nationally recognized home. It stands as a testament to what one determined community and one extraordinary individual can accomplish — and a lasting gift to Fort Worth and to the nation.

Sources: The Real Deal