Join us as we celebrate the release of Alice Faye Duncan's newest release! 
Your book purchase, which will arrive by free shipping, also comes with a link that allows you to participate in a live reading with Ms Duncan. After the reading we'll all enjoy some conversation and learn more about the author, Opal Lee, and more!
Your book purchase, which will arrive by free shipping, also comes with a link that allows you to participate in a live reading with Ms Duncan. After the reading we'll all enjoy some conversation and learn more about the author, Opal Lee, and more!
The true story of Black activist Opal Lee and her vision of Juneteenth as a holiday for everyone celebrates Black joy and inspires children to see their dreams blossom. Growing up in Texas, Opal knew the history of Juneteenth, but she soon discovered that many Americans had never heard of the holiday that represents the nation's creed of freedom for all.
Every year, Opal looked forward to the Juneteenth picnic--a drumming, dancing, delicious party. She knew from Granddaddy Zak's stories that Juneteenth celebrated the day the freedom news of President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation finally sailed into Texas in 1865--over two years after the president had declared it! But Opal didn't always see freedom in her Texas town. Then one Juneteenth day when Opal was twelve years old, an angry crowd burned down her brand-new home. This wasn't freedom at all. She had to do something! Opal Lee spent the rest of her life speaking up for equality and unity. She became a teacher, a charity worker, and a community leader. At the age of 89, she walked from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C., in an effort to gain national recognition for Juneteenth.
Through the story of Opal Lee's determination and persistence, children ages 4 to 8 will learn:
- all people are created equal
- the power of bravery and using your voice for change
- the history of Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, and what it means today no one is free unless everyone is free
- fighting for a dream is worth every difficulty
Featuring the illustrations of New York Times bestselling illustrator Keturah A. Bobo (I am Enough), Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free celebrates the life and legacy of a modern-day Black leader while sharing a message of hope, unity, joy, and strength.
- Hardcover
- Ages 4 - 8
- 32 pages
- Release date January 11, 2022
Alice Faye Duncan, Author
Alice Faye Duncan is a National Board Certified Teacher, who writes for young learners. Memory is her motivation. She writes to help children remember important moments from African-American history. Her books are celebrated for vivid imagery and lyrical texts that sound like music. Alice's most popular titles include A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks; Just Like a Mama; Honey Baby Sugar Child; and Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop, which received a 2019 Coretta Scott King Honor Medal. Alice lives in Memphis, Tennessee, where at a young age, her mother nurtured her writing talent with prayer, poetry books, and praise.