Ms. Opal Lee has celebrated Juneteenth all her life - even on June 19, 1939, when a mob of 500 white rioters burned down her home.

That moment was a turning point. "[It] spurred me to make people understand that Juneteenth is not just a festival," she later said.

Ms. Lee helped create the citywide Juneteenth celebration in her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. But that wasn't enough. So, in 2016, at 89 years old, she laced up her shoes and started walking.

She walked from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C. to make Juneteenth a national holiday. As she walked, a movement grew. She started a petition that received 1.6 million signatures. She got the attention of mayors and civil rights leaders from across the country.

"It's going to be a national holiday, I have no doubt about it," Ms. Lee told them. "My point is let's make it a holiday in my lifetime."

On June 17, 2021, she succeeded. Ms. Lee stood in the Oval Office to watch President Biden sign a bill recognizing June 19th as a federal holiday.

The "Grandmother of Juneteenth" is now 95 years old, and she is still making change. She shows us that anyone can make a difference at any age, and everyone should try. When you set out to do something important, you don't need to focus on how you'll get there or the odds stacked against you. You just need to take the first step.

This Juneteenth, I'm celebrating our community, our freedom, and the people like Ms. Opal Lee who continue to march us forward.

Keep the faith and keep the fight,

- Capri Maddox

LA Civil Rights celebrated Juneteenth this weekend in Leimert Park with local music, important conversations, and a whole lot of community.

We were honored to join Community Build for a tribute to Classical Music and Dance on Sunday, featuring the talent of Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Dwight Trible, the Fernando Pullum Youth Jazz Orchestra and more. LA Civil Rights also spoke at the Juneteenth Community Listening Session hosted by the National Assembly of American Slavery Descendants and Coalition for a Just & Equitable California, where we heard news from the state task force and shared updates on our newly-formed LA City Reparations Advisory Commission.

Thank you to Councilmembers Herb Wesson, Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Curren Price, and the many community-based organizations who made these celebrations possible!

Applications are open to serve on an L.A. REPAIR Advisory Committee for three LA REPAIR Zones: Boyle Heights, Mission Hills - Panorama City - North Hills, and Southeast Los Angeles (South LA east of the 110 Fwy).

If you live in one of these three REPAIR Zones, click here to learn more and apply to serve on your zone's advisory committee. The advisory committees will oversee outreach and rollout of the L.A. REPAIR Participatory Budgeting Pilot Program. Applications close July 1, 2022.

Got questions? Join an upcoming virtual info session on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. This live discussions will provide information about L.A. REPAIR, the advisory committee application, and ways for community-based organizations to be involved. Click here to RSVP.

LA For All continues to grow! Last week, we expanded our anti-hate PSA campaign to every branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. Multilingual posters with messages like "LA is for Everyone" will share critical resources for reporting and responding to hate in our city.

"We want library visitors to know we stand together with LA For ALL and that everyone deserves to feel welcome and safe," said City Librarian John Szabo. Thank you to the staff and leadership at LA Public Library for helping us build an LA for All!