Church supports national Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth – Gephardt Daily

Church supports national Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth  Gephardt Daily

FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 7, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Wednesday gathered with community leaders and supporters of Dr. Opal Lee,the civil rights activist known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” on her 100th birthday and celebrate a major milestone for the future National Juneteenth Museum. Juneteenth commemorates FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 7, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Wednesday gathered with community leaders and supporters of Dr. Opal Lee,the civil rights activist known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” on her 100th birthday and celebrate a major milestone for the future National Juneteenth Museum. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when news of emancipation reached enslaved Black Americans in Texas, more than two years after Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Lee’s decades of advocacy helped bring national recognition to Juneteenth and contributed to its designation as a United States federal holiday in 2021. As part of the event, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that it has committed $3 million to support construction of the museum. Plans for the museum include a genealogy center intended to help visitors discover and preserve family histories through experiences powered by FamilySearch. Elder Michael A. Dunn, President of the Church’s United States Southwest Area, joined museum leaders and community