AND MAJOR HIGHWAYS IT HAS THE
EFFECT OF CUTTING IT OFF FROM
THE REST OF FORTH WORTH.
BACK IN THE LATE 1930S, THAT
WAS BEFORE ALL THE INTERSTATES
AND ALL OF THAT.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO
KNOW ABOUT THAT NEIGHBORHOOD
WHEN IT COMES TO YOUNG 12 YEAR
OLD OPAL AND HER FAMILY WAS
THAT THEY WERE A BLACK FAMILY,
THAT WAS MOVING IN FROM WAY OUT
EAST BY LOUISIANA LAKE.
THAT NEIGHBORHOOD THE REMOVING
INTO WAS A MOSTLY WHITE
NEIGHBORHOOD AT LEAST A STREET.
AND THEY MOVE THERE IN JUNE OF
1939, THEY HAD BEEN TOLD BY A
LOCAL REAL ESTATE AGENT THAT IT
WOULD BE FINE EVEN THOUGH THEY
WERE A BLACK FAMILY MOVING INTO
A MOSTLY WHITE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT WAS NOT FINE, THEY DID NOT
LAST THE WEEK.
IT MADE THE LOCAL NEWS AND THE
HEADLINES THAT ARE STILL HARD
TO LOOK AT TODAY.
FOURTH WORTH CROWDS ATTACKS
NEGROES.
VIOLENCE CLIMAXED OBSERVANCE OF
NEGROES A MENS POSITION WHEN A
CROWD ESTIMATED OF 500 PERSONS
STORMED THE HOUSE OF OTIS
FLAKE.
THE MAN HURLED ROCKS AND
ENTERED THE DWELLING AND BEGAN
CARRYING FURNITURE INTO THE
STREET AFTER MR. FLAKE, HIS
WIFE AND THREE CHILDREN FLED
FROM THE HOUSE.
FLAKE MOVED INTO THE HOUSE LAST
FRIDAY.
FOR FOUR NIGHTS, SINCE THEYVE
BEEN THERE, POLICE HAVE WATCHED
THE AREA ATTEMPTING TO DISPERSE
CROWDS THAT HAVE ASSEMBLED ON A
NEARBY CORNER TO PROTEST THE
MOVING OF NEGROES INTO A WHITE
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.
HERES ANOTHER ONE.
NEGROES DRIVEN OUT, FURNITURE
BURNED.
MOB FIX BLACK FROM WHITE
NEIGHBORHOOD.
POLICE TODAY WERE INVESTIGATING
HIM NEAR WHY IT THAT DEVELOPED
WHEN A GROUP OF 500 PERSONS
DROVE OTIS FLAKE, KNEE GROW,
FROM HIS RECENTLY PURCHASED
HOME.
NEGROES TENANTS ARE PROTESTED,
THIS ONE DESCRIBE QUOTE AROUSED
RESIDENTS, WHO HAVE BEEN
FIGHTING AGAINST ENCROACHMENT
OF NEGROES IN THE AREA.
THAT ONE WAS ACTUALLY PUBLISHED
IN THIS TELEGRAM BEFORE THE
ATTACK THAT DROVE THE FAMILY
FROM THEIR HOME.
THIS ARTICLE, NEGROES TED ITS
OUR PROTESTED DESCRIBE A CROWD
OF ABOUT 150 PEOPLE THAT HAD TO
BE DISPERSED FROM OUTSIDE THEIR
HOME ON THAT SATURDAY NIGHT.
IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THAT
ARTICLE FROM THE FORTH WORTH
STAR TELEGRAM ABOUT THE AROUSED
RESIDENTS FIGHTING ENCROACHMENT
OF NEGROES WAS PART OF HOW THE
CROWD, THE NEXT NIGHT, SUNDAY
NIGHT, ENDED UP AT 500 INSTEAD
OF 150.
THAT 500 STRONG CROWD IS THE
ONE THAT ACTUALLY BURNED THEM
OUT.
ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO, BUT
KENNEDY AT THE TELEGRAM DUG UP
THE OLD HEADLINES ABOUT THAT
ATTACK ON THE FLICK FAMILY FOR
A COLUMN HE WROTE.
FROM THE LOCAL HEADLINES HE WAS
ABLE TO PIECE, HE WAS ABLE TO
FIT TOGETHER THE WAY 80 VAULT.
POLICE MIGHT HAVE SAID THEY
WERE INVESTIGATING THE QUOTE,
MOBBING, POLICE TOLD THE LOCAL
PRESS AT THE TIME THAT THE MOB
DESTROYED THE FAMILYS
FURNITURE, BROKE WINDOWS AND
DAMAGED THE BUILDING, HIT A MAN
AT THE SCENE WITH A BASEBALL
BAT.
THE NEXT DAY, QUOTE, USE CAME
INTO THE HOUSE AND TURNED ON
THE GAS JETS AND FLED SO THE
BUILDING WOULD BURN TO.
EVEN THOUGH THATS WHAT
HAPPENED AND THE POLICE WERE
SUPPOSEDLY ON IT, AND THEYVE
BEEN ON IT FOR FOUR STRAIGHT
NIGHTS BY THE TIME THE FAMILY
WAS FAMILY BURNED OUT, NOBODY
WAS EVER ARRESTED APPARENTLY.
ACCORDING TO BUT KENNEDY
NOTHING FURTHER WAS EVER
PUBLISHED ABOUT THE INCIDENT OR
ANY INVESTIGATION.
AND LIKE I SAID, SHE WAS 12
YEARS OLD WHEN IT HAPPENED.
ONE OF THE THREE CHILDREN OF
OTIS AND MATTIE FLAKE WHO WERE
BURNED OUT OF THAT HOME IN JUNE
1939.
THERES AN INTERVIEW ABOUT IT
LATER AND SHE TOLD JACKSON THIS
QUOTE, PEOPLE GATHERED, THE
POLICE COULDNT CONTROL THEM.
MY DAD CAME HOME WITH A GUN,
AND THE POLICE TOLD HIM IF HE
BUSTED A CAP, THEYD LEAD THAT
MOB HAVE HIM.
SHE SAYS QUOTE, IF THEY HAD
GIVEN US AN OPPORTUNITY TO STAY
THERE AND BE THEIR NEIGHBORS,
THEY WOULDVE FOUND OUT, WE
DIDNT WANT ANY MORE THAN WHAT
THEY HAD.
A DECENT PLACE TO STAY, JOBS
THAT PAID, TO BE ABLE TO GO TO
SCHOOL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD EVEN
IF IT WAS A SEGREGATED SCHOOL.
WE WOULDVE MADE GOOD NEIGHBORS,
SHE SAYS, BUT THEY DIDNT GIVE
US AN OPPORTUNITY.
AND I FELT LIKE EVERYBODY NEEDS
AN OPPORTUNITY.
AGAIN, THAT ATTACK THAT BURNED
THE FLAKE FAMILY OUT OF THEIR
HOME, AND WHAT WAS LITERALLY
THE FOURTH NIGHT THEY WERE
TRYING TO SLEEP IN THAT HOME,
THAT HAPPENED IN 1939, THE
SUMMER OF 1939 IN FORTH WORTH
TEXAS.
I WANT TO PUT BACK UP ON THE
SCREEN THERE ONE PIECE FROM
THAT COVERAGE FROM THE TIME
THAT QUOTE ABOUT WHEN EXACTLY
IT HAPPENED.
REMEMBER THIS LEAGUE FROM THE
FIRST STORY THAT I MENTIONED,
VIOLENCE CLIMAXED OBSERVANCE OF
NEGROES AND MENTAL PATIENT LATE
TONIGHT, WHEN A CROWD ESTIMATED
OF 500 PERSONS STONES OF
RESIDENTS.
VIOLENCE CLIMAX OBSERVANCE OF
NIAGARA MENSA PATIENTS, WHATS
THAT AWKWARD LANGUAGE FROM THE
NEWSPAPER IN 1939 TELLS YOU IS
THAT THIS ATTACK HAPPENED
SPECIFICALLY ON JUNE 19TH,
1939.
IT HAPPENED DURING THE
OBSERVANCE OF THE EMANCIPATION
OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE
UNITED STATES.
IT WAS JUNE 19TH, 1865, WHEN
GENERAL GORDON GRANGER AND HIS
UNION TROOPS WROTE INTO
GALVESTON TEXAS, THAT WAS AFTER
THE END OF THE CIVIL WAR, AND
THEY ISSUED, HE ISSUED GENERAL
ORDER NUMBER THREE.
FOR THE FIRST TIME BRINGING
NEWS TO THE 250,000 ENSLAVED
BLACK PEOPLE IN TEXAS AT THE
TIME THAT BY LAW THEY WERE NOW
FREE.
IT WAS ACTUALLY A HUGE MURAL
THERE IN GALVESTON ON THE SIDE
WHERE THE GENERAL ISSUED A
PROCLAMATION, IT SAYS ABSOLUTE
QUALITY, YOU SEE THAT?
AND JUNE 19TH HAS BEEN
CELEBRATED IN TEXAS, IN THE
STATE OF TEXAS FOR VERY LONG
TIME.
ITS BEEN A PAID STATE HOLIDAY
IN TEXAS SINCE 1979.
AS IN THAT LOCAL NEWS ARTICLE FROM 1939, THE DAY WAS
FROM 1939, THE DAY WAS
SOMETIMES DELICATELY CALLED THE
NEGROES EMANCIPATION.
KAMALA HARRIS HAS SAYS THAT
THROUGHOUT JUNETEENTH --
TODAY SHE SAID, IT IS A
NATIONAL HOLIDAY.
DESPITE THE ATTACK ON HER
FAMILY HOME IN 1939 WHEN SHE
WAS 12 YEARS OLD, BOTH YOUNG
ENOUGH AND OLD ENOUGH TO BE
DEEPLY SCARRED AND SCARED FOR
LIFE BY SOMETHING LIKE THAT,
YOUNG MISS OPAL, AGAIN 12 YEARS
OLD WHEN IT HAPPENED, SHE
SURVIVED THAT ATTACK ALONG WITH
HER TWO SIBLINGS.
SHE WOULD GO ON TO PLAY AN
IMPORTANT ROLE IN LOCAL
CELEBRATION OF THAT HOLIDAY IN
TEXAS, SPECIFICALLY IN FORTH
WORTH WHERE SHE LIVE THE REST
OF HER LIFE.
SHE WAS A TEACHER, SHE WENT ON
TO WORK FOR A LOCAL FOOD
CHARITIES, AND SHE BECAME PART
OF THE BLACK HISTORICAL GENIAL
LOGICAL SOCIETY, WHICH LED THE
LOCAL JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS
EVERY YEAR.
BUT IN 2016, WHEN I WAS
PRESIDENT OBAMAS FINAL HERE IN
OFFICE AS PRESIDENT, AS AMERICA
S FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT, MISS
OPAL, NOW MISS OPAL LEE, SHE
DECIDED THAT SHE WAS GOING TO
GO FOR BROKE.
SHE HAD BEEN DOING THIS WORK
HER WHOLE LIFE, SHE HAD A
SPECIAL REASON FOR THIS TO MEAN
SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT TO HER,
TO TURN IT INTO SOMETHING
POSITIVE IN HER LIFE.
BUT SHE DECIDED SHE WOULD GO
BIG.
SHE HAD WRITTEN A LETTER TO
PRESIDENT OBAMA, ESSENTIALLY
SORT OF WARNING HIM IN THE
NICEST WAY POSSIBLE THAT SHE
WAS GOING TO COME TO WASHINGTON
AT SOME POINT, AND THE POINT OF
HER TRIP WOULD BE THAT THIS
TEXAS HOLIDAY, JUNETEENTH
SHOULD BE CELEBRATED ALL OVER
THE COUNTRY.
IT SHOULD BE A NATIONAL HOLIDAY
MARKING THE END OF SLAVERY.
SHE THOUGHT WE SHOULD ACTUALLY
CELEBRATE AS A COUNTRY FROM
JUNE THE 19TH ALL THE WAY TO
JULY THE 4TH, FOR INDEPENDENCE
DAY.
SAME WAY WE CELEBRATE MARDI
GRAS FOR A BIG CHUNK OF
FEBRUARY, SHE WAS SAYING LETS
CELEBRATE LIBERATION AND
INDEPENDENCE AS A WHOLE COUNTRY
TOGETHER, FOR THE WHOLE END OF
JUNE THROUGH THE FIRST WEEKEND
OF JULY.
IN JULY, LETS MAKE THAT OUR
NATIONAL REFLECTION AND
CELEBRATION OF INDEPENDENCE,
LIBERATION, FREEDOM.
SO SHE HAD SENT PRESIDENT OBAMA
HER LETTER, BUT THAT IN 2016
WHEN IT WAS HIS LAST YEAR IN
OFFICE SHE DECIDED SHE WOULD GO
SEE HIM.
SHE WOULD WALK TO WASHINGTON
D.C., FROM FORT WORTH TEXAS.
SHE WAS 89 YEARS OLD, BUT SHE
DID THAT.
AGAIN THAT WAS 2016, SHE HAS
BEEN LEADING A NATIONAL EFFORT,
A NATIONAL EFFORT TO HAVE THE
HOLIDAY RECOGNIZE ALL THESE
YEARS.
SHE SAID THAT SHE WANTED TO
BRING 100,000 SIGNATURES ON A
PETITION WITH CONGRESS.
WHEN SHE WENT TO CAPITOL HILL
IN 2020.
BY THE TIME SHE GOT TO CAPITOL
HILL WITH HER PETITION IN
SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR,
SEPTEMBER 2020, SHE DIDNT HAVE
100,000 SIGNATURES ON HER
PETITION SHE HAD 1.5 MILLION
SIGNATURES.
SHE DIDNT SUCCEED IN HER GOAL
ON THAT TRIP TO WASHINGTON
SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR.
BUT YOU KNOW, TRY AND TRY
AGAIN.
IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, THE
LEGISLATION ACTUALLY TO CREATE
THE HOLIDAY WAS INTRODUCED YET
AGAIN, AND THIS TIME, WELL,
LIKE SHE SAID, EVERYBODY NEEDS
AN OPPORTUNITY.
WHEN THE HOUSE PASSED IT
YESTERDAY, MISS OPAL LEE 94
YEARS OLD SAID SHE WAS
OVERWHELMED WITH EMOTION.
>> I HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT
FEELINGS.
I DONT KNOW WHAT TO CALL THEM
ALL.
IM SO DELIGHTED TO KNOW THAT
AND BY RIGHT NOW I MEAN THIS
AFTERNOON IN THE EAST ROOM OF
THE WHITE HOUSE.
MISS OPAL LEE WAS ON HAND FOR
THE SIGNING CEREMONY SHE WAS
GIVEN PRIDE OF PLACE WITH A
FRONT ROW SEAT AMONG 80
CONGRESS MEMBERS, LOCAL
OFFICIALS, ACTIVISTS, COMMUNITY
LEADERS.
HER ROLE IN THE EVENTS THAT LED
GETTING TO WHERE WE FINALLY
FIND OURSELVES TODAY AS A
COUNTRY.
>> WERE BLESSED TO MARK THE DAY OF OPAL LEE.
DAY OF OPAL LEE.
>> I HAD THE HONOR OF MEETING
HER A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, SHE
TOLD ME SHE LOVED ME AND I
BELIEVED IT.
I WANTED TO BELIEVE IT.
MISS OPAL, YOU ARE INCREDIBLE,
A DAUGHTER OF TEXAS,
GRANDMOTHER OF THE MOVEMENT TO
MAKE JUNETEENTH OF FEDERAL
HOLIDAY.
YOU ARE AN INCREDIBLE WOMAN,
MISS OPAL.
SHE MADE IT HER MISSION TO SEE
THAT THIS DAY CAME, IT WAS
ALMOST A SINGULAR MISSION.
SHES WALKED FOUR MILES AND
MILES, LITERALLY AND