Wanna be HER
comments on BIG NEWS:
By John Wagner
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June 17, 2021 at 8:38 p.m. EDT
President Biden on Thursday signed into law a bill creating a federal holiday to commemorate Juneteenth, the day marking the end of slavery in Texas. Because June 19 falls on a Saturday this year, most federal employees will get this Friday off.
“Great nations don’t ignore the most painful moments. They don’t ignore those moments in the past. They embrace them,” Biden said in remarks in the East Room before a crowd that included lawmakers and 94-year-old Opal Lee, who campaigned to make the day a national holiday. The president, who spoke of efforts in some states to restrict voting rights, said the date doesn’t just celebrate the past but is a call for action.
SisterScene Hometeam Response by Ann Zimmerman:
OMG. My new hero is Opal Lee, the grandmother of the movement to get Juneteenth recognized as a national holiday. Chris Cuomo is talking to her right now on CNN, and he asked her if today was how she imagined it, and she thought for a moment. Then she said, "Well, I guess it was like I thought. But I'm gonna use a phrase the kids use - IT WAS OFF THE CHAIN!"
She is 94 years young, and her voice is strong, and her spirit is strong. I wanna be just like her when I grow up! —Ann Zimmerman, Winston Salem NC
