Introduction to the National Juneteenth Museum
The Biden administration made Juneteenth a nationally recognized holiday June 17, 2021, to expand its recognition and importance. Six months later, Opal Lee, known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth, and her supporters announced the plan to open a National Juneteenth Museum in her hometown of Fort Worth. The museum, now four years in the making, is scheduled to open in 2026, permanently memorializing and educating its visitors about the impact of Juneteenth on the African American community and the U.S.
Here are some key things to know about the making of the National Juneteenth Museum:
Breaking News
Opal Lee’s Connection to the Museum
Lee moved with her family when she was about 10 years old to what is now known as Fort Worth’s Historic South Side. Then, on June 19, 1939, Lee’s family home was raided by about 500 white rioters, leading her and her family to flee. From there, Lee and her family were homeless for some time. Lee says this incident is why she is so passionate about the national holiday, which led her to advocacy regarding affordable housing.
Related: What to know about Opal Lee, ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth’ and local civil rights legend
Funding for the Museum
Though much of the museum’s funding comes from private and corporate donations, grants, and foundations, some of its largest funds come directly from the state of Texas and the city of Fort Worth. The city of Fort Worth pledged the largest amount of funding the museum has received in 2022 — $15 million — with the pledge being contingent on whether it can reach its funding goal of $70 million
However, this pledge opened doors for the museum to receive millions in donations from Bank of America, the Regional Transportation Council, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, the Lilly Endowment and others. Lee and other supporters met with Texas lawmakers to push for a $15 million commitment in the state’s budget in 2023. They were able to secure $1 million and returned in February of this year to ask once again.
Lee and her supporters were able to secure $10 million early this month, making it the second-largest donation they have received.
Related: ‘A beacon of light’: National Juneteenth Museum secures land in Fort Worth
Lee’s Original Museum
Lee’s original museum had been operated by her and volunteers for about 20 years. Lee inherited the house from her late husband, and in it, created a home for an exhibition of Black history and artwork related to Juneteenth. Although the space was cared for by community members and Lee, once the pandemic hit in 2020, it closed its doors.
Once plans were confirmed for the new museum, memorabilia from the home began to be transferred in 2021, before the home went up in flames in 2023.
The National Juneteenth Museum will house gallery space, a business incubator, food hall, courtyard, green space and a 250-seat theater for lectures, performances and speakers.
The Museum’s Star Shape
The museum, designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group, is 10,000 square feet, equipped with a 250-seat theater, a Black Box flexible space, a food hall exclusively with local vendors and chefs, and a courtyard with four garden spaces. The space is shaped to replicate a “nova star,” which appears on the official Juneteenth Flag. The roof, specifically, is made in a grooves and ridges style, giving the courtyard a starlike form.
The shape is not only meant to convey the museum’s intended “spiritual uplift” of its community, but also represents a new chapter for African Americans, a light forward toward a “more just future.”
