“Never forget the day of small beginnings.” This was one of the first things artist Sedrick Huckaby, father to Rising Huckaby ’24, Halle Huckaby ’27, and Rhema Huckaby ’35, said when introducing the ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth,’ Opal Lee, in the auditorium at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.
Huckaby’s beginnings started in Fort Worth, where his love for art was able to prosper. When he was a child, he would draw frequently with his father, which was a big part of his inspiration. Fort Worth also had several art programs, such as the Imagination Celebration as well as several art competitions, where Huckaby met Lee for the first time. This wasn’t a one-off meeting between the two though, as several years later, their relationship would grow as Huckaby started working on his portrait of the Juneteenth icon. However, this portrait is only one of several highlights in Huckaby’s career as an artist, having received a Guggenheim Fellowship (a grant given to only 175 artists each year), being named the Texas State Artist in 2018, and having several of his art pieces displayed in the Amon Carter, the U.S. Embassy in Namibia, and many more locations in the U.S. More information about Huckaby’s accomplishments and artwork can be found on his website.
Lee’s beginnings were in Marshall, Texas where she grew up before moving to Fort Worth when she was ten years old. Now, just a short 86 years later, a portrait of her created by Huckaby in Fort Worth will be displayed in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., among paintings of other highly esteemed Americans, such as all of the presidents of the United States, several actors and actresses, and tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams.
On July 9, the final day the portrait was displayed at the Amon Carter, Huckaby and Lee spoke to two large audiences about the portrait Huckaby made of the Fort Worth legend, as well as Lee’s journey to making Juneteenth a national holiday, which she achieved back in 2021. Now, before her portrait is displayed in the National Portrait Gallery, she is reminding everyone what the holiday is really about.
“I don’t want you to think Juneteenth is a festival or a black festival,” Lee said. “Juneteenth is about freedom.”
This was one of the main points that Lee stressed in both presentations at the Amon Carter, as well as emphasizing human kindness and goodness.
“If people can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love,” Lee said.
This message resonated strongly with the audience, including Huckaby, when discussing what he hoped people would take away when seeing his portrait of Lee.
“I hope her message about Juneteenth, but not only that, a message about human goodness, will accompany that piece,” Huckaby said. “And as people hear more from her and hear her speak about helping, then they will think about that.”
Many people have heard her message and have taken it to heart, volunteering in several places across the DFW area, including Opal’s Farm, which provides both food to those in need as well as jobs for the unemployed. Lee is also opening a National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth in 2025, hoping to continue spreading her message to as many people as possible.
Part of what has made Lee become a role model nationwide is that not only does she preach being kind and good, but she exemplifies these qualities, which is what makes her standout from so many other famous Americans and why she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.
“There [are] all of these portraits done of famous Americans, but this is a famous American who’s famous for doing a lifestyle,” Huckaby said. “She’s famous for going about doing good.”
*See “Inspiring Change” story for more details about Lee and her journey https://falconquill.org/9529/news/inspiring-change-from-fort-worth-to-the-white-house-opal-lee/
