Barbie is honoring civil rights activist Dr. Opal Lee, widely known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth, with her own doll, per PEOPLE.
Lee, 99, is best known for leading the decades-long effort to make Juneteenth a national holiday, a goal realized in 2021 when former President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. Barbie described Lee as a “legendary” activist and educator whose work helped shape American history.
The Opal Lee doll, which will join the Barbie Inspiring Women collection, reflects her signature look from Opal’s Walk for Freedom, the annual event she founded to raise awareness about Juneteenth. The doll features a custom event T-shirt, white joggers and sneakers. It was designed by Carlyle Nuera, with packaging by designer Vicky Gevorkyan.
Born in Marshall, Texas, in 1926, Lee’s advocacy was deeply personal. Lee’s home was burned down by white rioters on Juneteenth in 1939, an experience she has said shaped her lifelong commitment to justice and education.
Lee spent decades campaigning for Juneteenth’s recognition, often symbolizing the delay in freedom reaching enslaved people by walking two-and-a-half miles, representing the two-and-a-half years it took for the news of emancipation to reach all enslaved people in the U.S. In 2016, she walked roughly 1,400 miles from Texas to Washington, D.C., stopping in cities along the way to advocate for the holiday.
In May 2024, Lee was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, and received her eighth honorary doctorate.
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