Opal Lee recognized at Texas State Capitol for her work to make Juneteenth a national holiday

AUSTIN, Texas - The Fort Worth woman known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth was honored Thursday at the Texas State Capitol.

Opal Lee sat with her family on the Texas Senate floor as she was honored for her mission to make Juneteenth a national holiday.

A portrait of her will be commissioned and displayed in the Texas Senate chamber.

She walked for years to raise awareness to her cause, and it became a federal holiday last month. 

Juneteenth commemorates the day enslaved African Americans in Texas learned they were free, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.