By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
Mattel’s Barbie doll version of Miss Opal Lee is helping to celebrate Women’s History Month at Galveston County Museum. At 99 years old, Opal Lee is the oldest woman to be recreated as part of Mattel’s Inspiring Women Series, which pays tribute to incredible heroines of their time.
“This is a great way to tell Women’s History and Galveston is the birthplace of Juneteenth,” said Jodi Wright-Gidley, Director of the Galveston County Museum.
Opal Lee, a Texan from Fort Worth, is considered one of the leaders in securing Juneteenth as a federal holiday and is fondly known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth”.
When Opal was 12, her family moved into a new home in Fort Worth. Just a few days later, on June 19, 1939, a mob of 500 white rioters destroyed their house and burned their belongings. Opal understood the significance of that day: Juneteenth marked the anniversary of 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston to announce and enforce the freedom of enslaved people. Opal went on to become a teacher, counselor, and community activist.
At 89 years old, she embarked on a walk from her home in Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., to advocate for Juneteenth as a federal holiday. She gathered more than 1.5 million signatures on a petition in support of Juneteenth as a national holiday.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday when President Joe Biden signed it into law on June 17, 2021. Opal Lee was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024.
The Opal Lee Barbie doll was donated to the museum by Doris and Sam Collins, III.
“Miss Opal is a shining example of what is possible when a person never gives up on their goal and uses their voice to create change. It has been a joy working with her for several years and I am so happy to see Mattel recognize her with a Barbie doll in her likeness,” said Galveston County Historical Commission member Sam Collins III.
The Grandmother of Juneteenth was crafted by Mattel with all the features one would expect to see on a grandmother including some facial wrinkles, gray hair and a physique that matches a ‘real’ woman in her senior years.
The Barbie version of Opal Lee is on view in the lobby of the Galveston County Courthouse at 722 21st st through May 2026. Visitors are encouraged to come on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the Galveston County Museum, also located in that building, is open. There is no cost to visit the museum.
October 7, 2026 will be Opal Lee’s 100th birthday. We wish her an early happy birthday and thank her for her tireless work in making Juneteenth a federal holiday.
