Opal Lee, Fort Worth's 'Grandmother of Juneteenth,' turns 100 surrounded by faith and family

For years, people across the country watched Opal Lee lace up her tennis shoes and walk mile after mile, often in the Texas heat, to share the story of Juneteenth. On October 7, Fort Worth's "Grandmother of Juneteenth" turned 100.

"Wow, gee whiz, a hundred years," Lee told NBC 5 anchor Brittney Johnson, who sat down with her before the big day. "They passed pretty fast, I think."

Lee helped lead the push to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. In 2016, at age 89, she set out walking from Fort Worth toward Washington, D.C., to make the case for a national holiday. These days, NBC 5 reports, she enjoys simpler things: reading, getting her nails done, spending time with family, and having breakfast with her great-grandson. "Lord, you could leave me and just put the plate under the door and leave me alone with a good book," she said. Her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren look after her, and she said, "I've got a beautiful family and they look after me."

Her birthday kicked off a week of celebrations. On the morning of her birthday, a "Clearing the Way" ceremony was held at the future site of the National Juneteenth Museum, where Fort Worth's Southside Community Center is being cleared to make room for construction. At the ceremony, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presented Lee with a $3 million check. That evening, former First Lady Michelle Obama headlined the museum's event at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Asked how she made it to 100, Lee kept it simple: "One step at a time is all I can say."

This story is based on original reporting by NBC 5 DFW, with additional details from KERA News, The Dallas Morning News and TEGNA's WUSA9.