'Grandmother of Juneteenth' celebrates freedom, 2.5 miles at a time

NPR | By Erika Ryan,

Sarah Handel

Published June 19, 2026 at 5:50 PM EDT

Opal Lee is known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talked with her in 2024 about her activism, and her hopes for the future.

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Erika Ryan

Erika Ryan is a producer for All Things Considered. She joined NPR after spending 4 years at CNN, where she worked for various shows and CNN.com in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Ryan began her career in journalism as a print reporter covering arts and culture. She's a graduate of the University of South Carolina, and currently lives in Washington, D.C., with her dog, Millie.

Sarah Handel

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