National Juneteenth Museum breaks ground on Opal Lee's dream in Fort Worth's Southside

On Oct. 7, Opal Lee's 100th birthday, neighbors and community leaders gathered in Fort Worth's Historic Southside to watch the old Southside Community Center on Rosedale Street come down. The "Clearing the Way" ceremony marked the start of construction on the National Juneteenth Museum. CEO Jarred Howard told CBS News Texas the demolition was "a birthday present to Ms. Opal for her 100th birthday."

The museum started small. In 2005, an earlier version operated out of a Fort Worth house Lee inherited from her late husband, where it hosted Juneteenth events. Lee and volunteer Don Williams spent years collecting artifacts of local Black history. The push for a national museum began in 2021, and designs by KAI Enterprises and the studio BIG were unveiled in June 2022. Lee serves as a legacy member of the museum's executive board.

The planned building is roughly 50,000 square feet at East Rosedale Street and New York Avenue, about two miles south of downtown. The City of Fort Worth is leasing the land to the museum for $1 a year over 40 years and has pledged up to $15 million toward the planned $70 million project. Howard said the fundraising campaign is about 70% funded. At the ceremony, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presented a $3 million check. Plans go beyond exhibits to include a business incubator, a food hall and a theater. Organizers say they will also focus on education, workforce development and entrepreneurship.

The museum didn't wait for a building to start its work. In June 2025, it opened its first exhibition, "Declarations of Freedom," curated by Lauren Cross and Christopher Blay, ahead of its first Freedom Vibes festival. The festival included concerts, a block party and a gospel experience. The museum also works with UNT Special Collections on a digital archive in the Portal to Texas History, which includes items gathered at community "History Harvest" events.

To support or follow the museum, visit nationaljuneteenthmuseum.org or email info@thenjm.org. This profile draws on reporting by NBC 5 DFW, CBS News Texas, The Dallas Morning News, KERA News, Axios Dallas and Global Citizen.