A Committee of One: How Faith + Action = A PurposeFULL Life is an inspirational memoir/self-help book from the Grandmother of Juneteenth that will be a testament to the transformative power of resilience, faith, and love.
In 2016, then-90-year-old Opal Lee began her Opal Walks 2 DC campaign where she endeavored to walk 1,400 miles from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, DC to bring awareness to the cause of making Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday. She was convinced that the country needed and wanted the unity that celebrating the abolition of slavery can bring. That it was bigger than Texas. Thankfully, on June 17, 2021, President Joseph Biden passed the bill making Juneteenth a National holiday and Ms. Opal stood alongside the president during this historic occasion, receiving the pen he used to sign off on the law.
A Committee of One takes readers on a profound journey through Ms. Opal Lee's life by sharing stories that will reveal a life marked by resilience, faith, and unwavering determination. Drawing parallels to the beloved narrative style of Tuesdays with Morrie, A Committee of One will weave together personal anecdotes with timely wisdom and offer every reader inspiring nuggets for reflection.
From the opening chapters, her narrative unfolds with the kind of raw honesty Ms. Opal is known for. She shares the challenges she's experienced (including the destruction of her childhood home by a white mob when she was twelve and the failure of her first marriage) as well as how those devastations allowed her the room to grow and become the woman she is today. All these stories are a testament to the indomitable human spirit, the fearlessness of our fortitude. The bottom-line goal in every chapter is to impart one significant and invaluable lesson: Adversity, though inevitable, need not define one's destiny.
The heart of the story is Ms. Opal's steadfast commitment to hard work and perseverance. From balancing the demands of motherhood and education to securing career advancements to the activism that led her to be named “The Grandmother of Juneteenth,” she's always tried to embody the transformative power of being steadfast. Because of this, A Committee of One is a powerful reminder that success is not measured by the absence of trials but by the willingness to confront and overcome them.
Affectionately known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” Ms. Opal Lee is a living legend whose tireless activism and infectious determination helped turn the long-held dream of a national Juneteenth holiday into reality. But ask her who she is, and she’ll flash a warm smile and say, “Just a little old lady in tennis shoes getting in everybody’s business.”
Born in 1926 in Marshall, Texas, and raised in Fort Worth, Ms. Opal’s life is rooted in resilience. She graduated from I.M. Terrell High School at just 16, and though she didn’t attend college immediately, she never let go of her dreams. After raising four children and overcoming a difficult marriage, she returned to school—earning her bachelor’s degree from Wiley College in 1953 and later a master’s in Counseling and Guidance from North Texas State University. As an educator, she taught elementary school for 15 years and served as a home-school counselor for the Fort Worth Independent School District until her retirement in 1977.
But retirement was just the beginning.
Ms. Opal threw herself into community work, co-founding Citizens Concerned with Human Dignity to address housing insecurity, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, and helping establish the Tarrant County Black Historical & Genealogical Society. From serving on the Historic & Cultural Landmarks Commission to supporting AIDS outreach and local businesses, her service touched every corner of Fort Worth. She has also held leadership roles in civic and cultural organizations for decades, including the Ethel Ransom Humanitarian & Cultural Club and over 30 years as Precinct Chair for District 8.
Yet it was her unwavering commitment to Juneteenth—the commemoration of the day enslaved people in Texas learned they were free—that sparked a national movement. Inspired by her work with the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation and driven by a deep belief in the power of unity through truth, Ms. Opal walked miles, organized petitions, and gave countless speeches across the country to demand recognition of this pivotal moment in American history.
In 2021, at the age of 94, Ms. Opal stood next to President Joe Biden as he signed the bill officially making Juneteenth a federal holiday. She received the ceremonial pen, but more importantly, the moment marked a victory for generations of Black Americans who long knew that freedom delayed is still worth fighting for.
Now approaching her 100th birthday, Ms. Opal remains a fierce advocate for justice and education. Through every role—teacher, counselor, activist, historian, church mother—she reminds us that change is always possible and that no one is ever too old, too tired, or too small to make a mighty difference.
